GORDON Bennetti would do his Conservative cause more service if he availed himself of the opportunity to advocate their policies on your letters page (‘Political views’, letters, February 13), writes reader Dr Richard House.

Instead, all he does is moan about left-wing letter writers and throw around unsubstantiated slurs.

It’s called “democracy”, Mr Bennetti – where left and right (and centre and Green) make our respective political cases and enter into debate, leaving open-minded readers to decide on the respective merits of the arguments.

The political right hardly ever seeks to make a case for Conservatism on your letters page.

Why not?

Because their case is utterly threadbare – and they know it.

The SNJ letters editor is doubtless scrupulously fair in printing letters in proportion to what’s submitted.

It’s not our fault that Tory supporters are frit, and refuse to enter into public debate.

Not content with a near-monopoly of the non-dom owned national press, Mr Bennetti and his Tory ilk seemingly want to silence alternative voices in the local media, too.

I trust the irony isn’t lost on your readers of troll-condemning Mr Bennetti penning the outrageous lie that “Stroud Labour trolls [were] directed by their Momentum party bosses”.

It merely exposes the bankruptcy on the political right when they’re reduced to making up fictional slurs.

Alas, troll-like behaviour can and does happen on the letters pages too.

Finally, does Mr Bennetti ever ask himself why irritating people like me are so vociferous?

It’s down to the obscene unfairness and suffering in this great country and locally, and our determination to engage with it, and not walk by on the other side of the road in complacent denial.

Dr Richard House

Stroud