JIMMY TAYLOR wrote about his family circumstance as a child growing up in the 1940s (HAS, Jan 28).

I shared his experience. What would now be considered abject poverty seemed nothing of the sort at the time, since nobody on the street had washing machines, fridges, televisions, telephones, central heating or cars. The gap between perceived and satisfied wants was zero and that is a recipe for contentment.

The upside to life then was that everyone had a job.

Life has improved in many ways thanks to household gizmos, cars and foreign holidays. Supermarkets offer a range of goods undreamt of 60 years ago.

But millions have been left behind in this onward march.

There is now an underclass without hope of finding paidwork.

Many others are on short time, desperate for more.

So, following the abject failure of the present Tory millionaire cabinet and its Lib/Dem lickspittles, that is the challenge for Labour.

A brave reversal of the present dismantling of the welfare state and huge investment in jobs should be Labour’s priorities.

As today’s youngsters are the first to face a life more impoverished than their parents, it is time for the posh boys to get out of public life. Their arrogance is distasteful, their incompetence is unforgivable.

Rob Meggs, Hartlepool