Sir, - Mr John Humphreys' interview with Mr Blair on the Today programme was a real eye opener, or should I say ear opener. Mr Humphreys really brought out how sleaze ridden is the Labour party and how slippery is Mr Blair. As Mr Humphreys pointed out, they came to power in 1997 to be purer than pure. This has certainly not been the case and in my opinion they have proved far more sleaze ridden than Mr Major's party ever was.

Mr Blair told Mr Humphreys that people wanted to hear about facts and policies during the election. I remind you of two occasions over the Foster Bill to ban hunting when Mr Blair said he had voted for the ban. In fact the official Hansard report showed that be had never voted on this Bill.

He also said that the Bill had been defeated in the Lords by the non-elected Tory peers, when in fact the bill never got to the Lords. Could one possibly believe anything from a man like that?

J D Trotter

East Layton Hall,

Richmond.

Short memories

Sir, - Visitors entering this area could well imagine that every voter supports our local MP. Large posters with his name sit upright in fields, whose owners seem to have very short memories.

The last government took such a long slow time to act over the BSE crisis, when the official report was published, even Mr John Major and others apologised for the lack of action. Contrast this with foot-and-mouth disease where action, although horrible, was swift and considering the tragic circumstances, compensation was and is being speedily dealt with.

We should remember that in elections, the fields may be big, the posters very conspicuous, but we all have just one vote.

Mr William Hague entered parliament on split votes - he could be politically frightened by a Lib/Lab joint effort, which could hand this constituency back to the Liberals. Come on now, lets all have a go.

GEORGE HAYES

Maison Dieu,

Richmond.

Country first

Sir, - I cannot believe that after four years of incompetent government, spin, sleaze and contempt for Parliament and the British people, there are still individuals who would vote for another Labour government.

Another four years and this beloved country will be on its back and well on its way to being governed by Brussels - a referendum with questions so formed that it will be impossible to say no and twice as much money given to the yes campaign already promised.

If you want to lose sovereignty of this country, vote Labour. If you want nothing done to improve in schools, the health service and law and order (as it has not in the last four years) vote Labour. If you like spin and contempt for Parliament and the Crown, vote Labour.

Thank goodness for William Hague and the Conservative party with their common sense policies. They have my vote.

SHEILAH PITMAN

Harmby,

Leyburn.

Euro pledge

Sir, - Mr Weaver (D&S, May 11) can rest assured that the Labour government, if elected for the second term, will keep its promise and the electorate will have a final say, through a referendum, on the euro.

The phoney figures Mr Weaver quotes bear the hallmark of Conservative Central Office attempting to deceive the gullible. The glaring example is his disingenuous claim that his "weekly shop" would increase if the euro became the currency in the UK from £76.02 to £89.33.He must have been out of the country during the recent media coverage of "Rip-off Britain", in which it was shown that the British supermarkets are the dearest in the EU.

The increasing numbers of British holidaymakers buying a single ticket to the Continent and returning in new cars loaded with food and wine speak for themselves.

Repeated rabid Tory attacks on Europe are a poor example of Britishness or a pride in being British.

Olly Andrla

Press Officer,

Vale of York Labour party.