IT is ridiculous for Don Rishton (LET, January 11) to state that the Labour government has "mimicked" and "embraced" Tory policies.

I don't recall the previous Conservative government supporting a national minimum wage and introducing various rights for working people and implementing the working families tax credit or pension credit.

Neither do I recall overall crime falling by 30 per cent.

However, I do recall unemployment being treble what it is now, mortgage interest rates and inflation double or treble the current rates and cuts in our education and national health services!

Employment is up by 1.9million and there are 100,000 more businesses than in 1997.

Excellent schemes such as Sure Start, Family Centres and neighbourhood wardens would never have occurred under a Tory government. Police numbers are at a record high.

Of course, more efforts are needed to improve various policies mentioned by Mr Rishton such as pensions, inequality and divisions in society.

But I would rather than a Labour government tackle these issues than go back to the dark days of the Conservatives which Mr Rishton seems content to let happen.

M MULLA (Mr), Ripon Street, Blackburn.