LETTER : How to distinguish between Labour and Conservative

John Pilgrim
Saturday 03 June 1995 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

YOUR articles "We got things wrong", on Margaret Hodge, and "Left fails to bark as Blair turns right" (28 May) illustrate a failure to distinguish between policy and management which is as old as socialism.

You are wrong to lump Labour's policy of toughness on crime with the Conservatives'. Labour also aims to tackle the causes of crime through attention to the distribution of wealth,devolution to local bodies and the availability of resources to public services. The management failure in Islington was compounded by a factor that is also apparent in run-down social services, schools, health services and police forces: insufficient resources to recruit, train and pay well-qualified and motivated people.

A resolute stand on inflation and full membership of the EU are necessary to generate resources and manage social needs in a market economy. Similar commitments to effective monetary policies define socialism in post- industrial society.

John Pilgrim

Bath

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in