TREVOR BARK (HAS, March 8) may not be a part of the Labour Party, but his political leaning is quite clear and his ability to only read what he wants to read is also clear.

I was quite clear (HAS, March 4) in agreeing that the banks were the catalysts of the recession and that we had had a period of “globalised economic growth”. And, yes, New Labour took part in this economic prosperity.

I also agreed that investment was needed and I would never decry the building of schools, but Mr Bark missed that.

What I do disagree with is that spending “was done in a controlled manner”.

For example, new schools built under Labour’s private finance initiative are costing us up to three times their value and excessive spending in the public sector has lead to more managers and non-jobs than could ever be justified – definitely not Keynesian economics, which advocates a “mixed economy which is predominantly private sector”.

It was the macro-economic policy of quantitative easing that halted the slide, not the discredited Keynesian ideals.

The cuts would have happened no matter which party was in power, but at least UKIP would not be increasing payments to the EU.

Dave Brothers, UKIP County Durham.