'I ask readers to cast their minds back...' - Your Letters: April 18

I ask readers to cast their minds back to the halcyon days of 3 July 2024: 

NHS waiting lists, national debt, and child poverty were at an all-time low; standard of living and GDP were at an all-time high; our lakes and rivers were pristine; the structural integrity of our schools and roads was the envy of the world; and the global respect for our government was at a level not seen since the height of empire. 

Or at least, this is how an alarming number of correspondents to this paper seem to remember it.

While I disagree with many of Starmer's decisions since the 2024 election, to claim 'Labour have ruined Britain' as so many do is at best a desperate cope (as the kids say) and at worst delusional. To cut a long story short, the current state of Britain is down to 40 years of Tory privatisation, 14 years of Tory austerity, and eight years of Tory Brexit. 

Blaming Labour is akin to accusing a fireman of destruction because the ash pile is now wet.

David Gordon, Bayston Hill

NHS EXPERIENCE WAS EXCELLENT

A year ago, my already arthritic knees got worse in the night. I collapsed getting out of bed, and I became housebound apart from hospital visits by ambulance, in a wheel chair. After various tests, I have just had a new left knee. However, I did not walk too good, and spent a month in rehab to improve this. Now I can slowly walk, albeit with a walking frame.

The standard of care is worthy of praise. This included personal care where I had to be washed, be escorted to the toilet (with frame), delivery of meals, issue of tablets, and taking blood pressure etc. Whatever they are paid, it is probably not enough.

The choice and quality of the food was particularly good too. It is then sad to read of waiting lists. If the standard of my care was typical across the board, a properly funded NHS would be a world beater.

Robert William White, West Midlands

HEATHROW CRISIS NOT JUST POWER 

Peter Timlin is incorrect in attributing the chaos at Heathrow to a power failure.

The National Grid stated that twice as much power would have been needed to operate all the flights was being provided. The resulting disruption must have been due to failure to implement the emergency procedures.

Trevor Matthews, Claverley

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