SIR – Let’s set out the facts about how Labour plunged this country into debt for the benefit of David Barlow and other Labour contributors here. National debt was £312 billion in 2001.

Once Labour were safely re-elected in 2001, Gordon Brown threw caution to the wind. So by 2005 the debt was £425 billion, and in 2008 it was £525 billion.

So let’s be clear – Brown added £213 billion to our national debt in times of alleged prosperity.

On top of that, in the next two years he went on to add virtually another £250 billion! In Worcester it was clear that the alleged economic boom was a fantasy because of the poor government funding given to our city.

The city council has had to cope with this legacy, plus reduced funding. Despite this, the Conservative administration has frozen council tax, made no cuts in front-line services, frozen parking charges and protected voluntary groups’ funding.

Francis Lankester, Worcester