The Tories have only themselves to blame for the rise of Reform UK

SIR – Lee Anderson, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, has warned Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, that it could allow Labour to win power by standing candidates against the Tories (report, January 3).

Mr Anderson knows that the Conservatives only won an 80-seat majority in 2019 because Nigel Farage stood down Brexit Party candidates. That majority was then completely wasted. Perhaps it should now be the Tories who stand down their candidates to make way for Reform. David Miller

Chigwell, Essex

SIR – I’m sick of Tory MPS whingeing that supporting Nigel Farage and Reform UK will help Labour. The majority supported the Tories in the last election as they promised Brexit. The referendum was nearly eight years ago. What have they done with it?

Thanks to Boris Johnson, they broke their promise and achieved nothing. As a now-redundant Tory activist and member, I don’t trust anyone in the top echelons of the party. Why should anyone else?

I’ll be voting for Reform UK so there can be a clear-out in the Tory ranks. MP Wiedman

Piccotts End, Hertfordshire

SIR – It is true that Conservative voters have been treated with contempt by an arrogant Tory elite, but if we punish them, we will punish ourselves. Government policy has drifted Leftwards, and a Labour government would accelerate that movement.

One of the perceived advantages of Brexit was enshrining our democratic right to sack politicians who did not fulfil their promises. Perhaps in this instance, we would be better off insisting that they go back and complete the job we gave them five years ago. Alan Rogers

Epsom, Surrey

SIR – In the March Budget, to regain the support of past Conservative voters like me, the party should put distance between itself and both Labour and Reform UK by abolishing the hated, unjust inheritance tax.

Even Reform UK is pledging only to reduce the tax rather than ditch it. My wife and I will probably not leave enough to pay this tax, but I’d vote to spare my bereaved heirs the burden of proving this to HMRC and the Probate Office.

Administrative costs would be saved, with the further advantage of reducing probate delays. Just do it – along with upping tax thresholds as a lesser priority. Colin Newman

Bingley, West Yorkshire

SIR – To me it seems obvious why Tory and Labour politicians do not declare their policies (Letters, January 3). The electorate would soon see that there is no difference between them. Martin Gaskill

Culcheth, Cheshire