REFERENCE the two letters (SNJ, Jan 18) from Dr Richard House and Andrew Finebaum concerning the catastrophic dire state that the Labour Party is in since Jeremy Corbyn was elected its leader.

Both writers failed to mention that Labour’s Fabian Society stated that only half those who voted for party in 2015 General Election were prepared to vote Labour at the next election.

They also failed to mention that Corbyn has been put on probation as leader by Len McCluskey, the general secretary on Unite and formerly Corbyn’s biggest supporter and paymaster.

I note that Richard, who has been undoubtedly Corbyn’s loudest local cheerleader, failed to mention his name once in his letter.

Perhaps Richard has come to his senses and realised that a Labour Party with Corbyn as leader is doomed to failure.

I do agree with him and restate that I believe the Lib Dems are a phoenix party which within a couple of general elections will re-establish the level of support they enjoyed under Paddy Ashdown.

Andrew writes that on the back of the new signed-up party member’s cards it is stated that Labour is a democratic socialist party but he failed to mention that it is being hijacked by extremists of the hard left.

That could fully explain the Fabian Society’s fears above.

I agree with Andrew that Tony Blair while PM has a lot to answer for with regards his foreign policy and that “dodgy dossier”, but on domestic issues he did do a lot of good.

The minimum wage springs to mind.

Corbynists demonising Blair are rubbishing their own Labour Party history, which is totally counter- productive.

I agree with Andrew that Corbyn has deep-rooted principles and probably a good heart, as I’m sure has Richard, but both men have their heads deeply buried in the sand.

The road to hell is full of good as proven in Liverpool in the 1980s when the hard left (Militant) took control of local government and within a short period were sending out redundancy letters by taxi to their own workforce.

Their high aspirations were unaffordable.

The Trident nuclear weapons issue is very thorny.

I too would love to live in a nuclear weapons free world but unfortunately that technology cannot be put back in the bottle.

I disagree with Andrew and am pleased that the British government could exercise some sort of moderating influence over Donald Trump by retaining Trident.

Regular readers know that Richard bends facts to bolster his own opinions and demonise opponents.

In his letter he claims that I am “beloved of first-past-the-post” but I have never stated an opinion on the subject.

I reminded Richard that the subject was dead following the AV Referendum of 2011.

Richard also claims that actual voting figures are not an indication to future voting patterns and goes off on a wild goose chase distorting Lib Dem results.

The truth is that at this stage of an electoral cycle nearly every main party of opposition is bolstered by good results in by-elections.

Corbyn’s Labour is bucking that trend, which so terrifies The Fabian Society.

Richard must be corrected in perpetrating that great myth that the majority of Labour MPs are a tiny elite representative of the party in parliament whereas in actual fact they were elected to Westminster before Corbyn’s militants hijacked Labour.

These MPs should be applauded and supported in that they are staying true to all their electors and not kowtowing to the extremists.

I am not a member of any political party and have voted for various different parties over the years.

Richard has admitted that he is the “butt of many a joke”, and only writes in support of Corbyn’s Labour.

I want the best for my country which includes a strong opposition party that sadly Corbyn is failing to produce. I accept Richard’s challenge and am more than happy to allow the readers of the SNJ to decide whose viewpoint they support and whose they consider a laughing stock.

Whatever, everyone knows full well that those who are laughing loudest are Labour’s opponents.

Tom Newman

Stroud