Not fooling anyone

JOHN Hodgkins (letters, May 9) has produced the typical Tory response whenever it seems likely that a Labour Government could return to power. That is to attack the leader and smear his credentials to be elected as the Prime Minister.

Starmer’s “attack ads” were not lies but, while personal, were exposing the terrible record of prosecuting child sex offenders from a Government where Sunak has been Chancellor and the PM. Also their record of only 1% of rape cases going to court is appalling.

The real lie here is the wrong accusation that Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile. Starmer was not connected in any way with this case and when Boris Johnson made these claims in Parliament several senior Tory MPs dissociated themselves from this issue.

That a senior civil servant like Sue Gray has joined Labour has really riled the Tories and has no bearing on her ‘Partygate’ report. Johnson

was captured on camera several times at obvious parties with tables laden with food and drinks. He and Sunak were fined for breaking the lockdown rules imposed by Johnson.

People who lost loved ones and were unable to see them by adhering to the rules will never forget or forgive the disgraceful behaviour from Johnson and his associates.

Nothing will distract from the severe deterioration of most people’s living standards during 13 years of misrule from a shambolic Government, with inflation over 10% and soaring food and energy prices.

The party that has boasted of being the upholders of low taxation has raised them to the highest level for 70 years with many low earners brought into the higher tax bracket by Jeremy Hunt’s “stealth tax” in his budget.

The 20,000 police axed by Theresa May have still not been replaced and the party of “law and order” have presided over rapid increases in crime where knife murders are escalating.

The NHS and care system is in crisis with millions of people waiting longer on a huge backlog of operations. The Tories have consistently underfunded the NHS where there is a massive shortage of nurses and doctors, who are overworked and underpaid. Waffle about “own goals” and the “moral high ground” will not fool the voters who are suffering under this pathetic Government.

Brian Kirkley, South Shields