This is Labour’s recession, Mr Whittaker, (Oxford Mail, March 17).

The recession hit this country on Labour’s watch. Labour was singularly ill-prepared to handle it because Labour has ratcheted up public spending and public debt without bringing a commensurate improvement in public services.

Labour has turned our pension funds from princelings into paupers. Labour sold our gold reserves at the bottom of the market.

Labour has failed monumentally to improve the social stock of this country by growing the dependency culture and failing to improve learning and skills sufficiently to meet modern needs.

Labour has taken us to costly wars but failed adequately to fund the military to fight them.

Labour has let this country down for 13 years and it is time for them to go.

Keith R Mitchell, Conservative Party member and Leader of the Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford