Sir – Empty chairs for Tory MPs/parliamentary candidates seem to have reached Oxford. The sitting MP for Oxford West & Abingdon has failed to attend, and in some cases respond to, speaking invitations to local meetings and election hustings so far.

Last week at an International Women’s Festival hustings for parliamentary candidates from both the Oxford constituencies at which the question was What will the political parties do for women in 2015 and beyond?, she sent her Tory colleague [male] leader of the county council instead. Rather insulting? Are the Tories chicken about trying to defend their ‘austerity’ cuts which fall on women especially hard?

Sue Ledwith and Senia Paseta, Oxford