MADAM — Brian Cooke’s letter in the SNJ of September 3 was, as usual, intelligent, well thought out and clearly composed.

His conclusion is that previously Conservative voters should back Ukip at the next general election as the only hope to stop Labour from taking Stroud.

However, will Ukip’s candidate get enough votes to make this idea work?

On this, Brian Cooke must have been dismayed to read the letter, printed on the opposite page to his, from Caroline Stephens, Ukip’s parliamentary candidate.

As with much of the communication from Ukip candidates, this seemed like a rant.

Poorly thought through with un-corroborated facts and figures (do some checking first, Caroline) lifted straight from a “newspaper”, it wasn’t clear whether it was directed at the SNJ editor or us readers who “are all either an MP, MEP or parliamentary candidate”.

Not sure she is helping either your or her own case Brian.

To Caroline Stephens: As a rule, the date and price on the front are the only two statements that are factually correct in the comic titled The Mail on Sunday.

Please don’t believe anything else you read in it. Also, think about where you spend your money.

The controlling shareholder of DMG media, producers of that comic, is Jonathan Harmsworth, who pays almost no UK tax (having non-domicile tax status even though, like you, he lives in Wiltshire) and donates to the Tory party. Do you want to give them your hard-earned cash?

Tom Kemp

Brimscombe