IN SPITE of all the financial and political happenings of recent months I was prepared to believe that, for the time being, New Labour were best placed to lead the country out of recession and to reform parliament. I saw no reason to believe they were out of touch with the opinions of the man in the street. That is until I listened to Harriet Harman on the BBC news where she made this comment: “Part of our strength in this country is (sic) the waves of people from different parts of the world who have come and made Britain what it is today."

I do not imagine, were she to poke her head into any workplace or hostelry in the land, that she would find this view corroborated.

JAY DENSON, The Green, Charlbury