Elderly Brits like me have paid our dues – why are we being hung out to dry?

I’m 78 years old this year and my dentist has recently gone private. I can’t get an NHS dentist where I live – two I know of are taking on NHS patients, but only when a vacancy crops up, and they’re miles away. I just have to keep ringing to check if they have an opening. It’s an appalling crisis driven by lack of funding by this Conservative government.

I completed a full working life – paid the required NI contributions and income tax on my earnings, and only claimed sickness benefit twice in that time. Yet I am being penalised. I earned my state pension and I also paid into my company’s pension scheme based on the fact that I would be “comfortable” in my dotage, and able to cover all my utilities and living expenses (now to include rent to a private landlord).

Instead, I’m paying tax on my pensions to enable people on benefits, whom I don’t have a grievance with, to receive free dental care if they are on universal credit, housing benefit, child benefit, pension credit, unemployment benefit – you name the benefit and they can get NHS dental treatment. I’m being penalised by this outrageous situation.

If the Conservatives regain power in this country, and God forbid they do (if there is a God), I worry that the NHS will be privatised. Parts of it already are in private hands. “Trust” is another word for privatisation, as is “academy” for schools.

The Conservatives have destroyed every vestige of credibility and prestige this country once had around the world. Just look at Boris Johnson’s actions during the Covid pandemic.

Who of any of the current candidates standing in this upcoming general election can I trust? I was born into a working-class family who were supporters of the Labour movement. I was raised on those principles, and stand by them. Do its current leaders?

Today, I’m at a loss as to who to vote for. Each one of the candidates is spouting promises they either won’t keep or can’t. Promises to simply capture the attention of the voters and ask them to believe in the garbage they are preaching from their soapboxes.

Many will laugh and deride my criticism but it’s the truth. At least I know the meaning of “truth”. Many modern MPs don’t.

Bridget Bartlett

Address supplied

I agree with every word of Ryan Coogan’s fantastic takedown of Nigel Farage. The man has spent his entire political career subverting and undermining the best interests of the UK, and for what? What is to be gained from his divisive and destructive political presence?

He helped bring us Brexit misery, he supports Trump, he said the deplorable Andrew Tate is an “important voice for emasculated men”, and now he backs power-hungry despots with aspirations of world domination. How anybody could ever believe he has our best interests at heart is beyond me!

Stephen Bloom

Canterbury

I’ve heard it said that the latest Tory “missteps” (to put it politely), such as Sunak leaving the D-Day celebrations early and allegations of insider betting, are leading to a huge defeat for the chaotic Conservative Party.

But let’s be clear: these incidents are just the icing on the cake. The Tories were already doomed by 14 years of incompetence, self-serving policies, corruption, scandal, cloud cuckoo thinking, cakeism and divisive policies. Oh, and let’s not forget Brexit.

Tim Sidaway

Hertfordshire

Someone needs to tell Nigel Farage that blaming the West for Russia’s evil invasion of Ukraine has informed us all of his true colours. I doubt he is a British patriot – I view him as being more aligned with Britain’s enemies.

I shall vote Labour but I consider Reform UK to be the greatest threat to our country – not the chaotic and incompetent Conservatives. Supporting the Kremlin over Kyiv is a disgraceful position to take. How can anyone on the mainstream right back a party that apologies for Kremlin terror?

Sebastian Monblat

Address supplied