LETTER - I need to come out in criticism and a sort-of support of the letter by Mike Cockett headlined ‘Sort out benefits’ (Starmail, September 4).

Firstly, I have a certain type of admiration for Mr Cockett’s optimism and confidence in our benefits system by thinking that if wasters, scroungers and malingerers were rewarded less for their laziness, the conscientious jobseekers would receive more support.

I must take this juncture to stress that I am not putting the genuine sick in the same bracket. However, the reality is that benefits would not be increased for the genuinely sick and jobseeking, regardless of who was in power – except real socialists. The money saved would doubtless be wasted.

Apart from the fact that Mr Cockett still seems not to have learned what socialism really is, the gentleman, by making the above referred-to suggestion, has actually expressed a founding socialist principle – the redistribution of wealth.

Mr Cockett, and all others, please be told that the Labour Party is not, I repeat, not socialist – it is totally capitalist.

It’s not only this country’s welfare system which requires urgent surgery – the entire state mechanism and society does.

If, Mr Cockett, you respond to this letter, might you please divulge what newspaper you read – apart from the Shropshire Star.

I’m left wondering if the purpose of Mr Cockett’s letter is mainly to make a suggestion about benefits distribution, or simply to have yet another crack at (what he and many others think is) socialism.

Simon Forrester, Wem