I LOVE Nick Clegg. “It won’t be like the 1980s,” he said. How does he know? Where was he in the 1980s? How does he know what it’s like for families to scrape around on Jobseeker’s Allowance?

Very shortly, unless there is a public outcry, a lot of civilians in the police force are going to be on Jobseeker’s Allowance. Their families will be pushed to the limit, especially if there is another winter like the one we had last year.

How about David Cameron, Nick Clegg, and all the Tory sympathisers who write in this column, going on to Jobseeker’s Allowance for a year or two to help the country get back on its feet? Do you think they would?

Not likely, yet they want other people to do so.

This country needs the civilians in the police force – they do a good job. The country doesn’t need Mr Cameron or Mr Clegg. It has and will survive without them. Give them hell, because that is what they have lined up for you.

John Phelan, Howden-le-Wear, Co Durham.

I DON’T for one minute suppose David Cameron will feel the slightest guilt, shame or remorse with regard to the Conservative post-election revision of their pre-election promises (ie, lies).

I refer particularly to the prospective cutting of fuel allowance and free bus travel for the over-60s. Mr Cameron is, after all, a professional politician and “being economical with the truth” goes with the job.

With this in mind, I feel impelled to offer advice: it behoves any voter to take with a large pinch of salt any promise made by any politician in the run-up to any election.

Once they have your vote and are in power, then it’s back to square one and they feel they can do just as they wish. By then, however, it is far too late – as we are all, no doubt to our cost, about to find out.

Ken Orton, Ferryhill Station, Co Durham.