I take it that Peter Collett (Oxford Mail, April 11) does not like the Conservatives. But in his condemnation he does not say what his alternative would be.

Surely he is not suggesting that at the last election we should have returned Labour, a party which, when elected, inherited an efficient and fast growing economy and then over the next 13 years proceeded to turn it into a basket case? Would he choose the same party that was lead by the two most disingenuous men that this country has had the misfortune to have had as leaders?

Take Mr Blair for example. “Education, education, education,” was his motto, and he then set about conning in us into believing that education had improved by reducing the standards of examinations. This meant a larger proportion of our school children passed with higher grades, enabling more of them to qualify for university than otherwise would have been the case.

What we have been left with, however, is security guards on some of our inner city schools, with metal detectors to stop students entering school armed with knives and guns.

Tens of thousands of school leavers are unable to read and write properly, and recently, we have seen the entire teaching staff of a school going on strike because their students are unruly and they have no power to control them.

Then they started to reduce crime. “Tough on crime and the causes of crime,” said Mr Blair.

Well, they lumbered the police with so much red tape we do not see them on the streets any more.

Then they introduced more political correctness and health and safety regulations.

Now, so little is done when crime is reported that nobody bothers to report it any more – thus reducing the figures.

Is that what Mr Collett is advocating? I hope not.

What is the alternative? I do not know except that while we remain in the European Union things will never get better.

I am now a fully paid up member of UKIP, mainly because no politician has ever said what the benefits are of being a member of the European club.

The sooner we get out, the sooner this country will return to being a democratic nation.

Norman V Roper, Stow Avenue, Witney