I WAS born in Essex and raised in Hampshire.

Throughout my childhood everything in our village was Conservative.

There were Conservative social events.

A lot of things which took place bore the Conservative name.

In my 20s I moved back to Essex for my first IT job, and then onto County Durham over four years later after my employer went bust when I had £20,000 negative equity on my mortgage.

That’s what Conservative governments do to people. Recently I had to travel to my family’s village in Hampshire to sort out some business.

It was when I was talking to people in their work capacity, that I heard things that I was not used to hearing in that village.

People there were saying “when we get rid of this dreadful government” etc.

I never thought that I would hear those words in that village.

There again I’m glad I left, because people there now when needing to see a doctor have to wait three weeks just to receive a telephone call from the surgery.

On Cancer Awareness Week we hear that people with cancer are on a waiting list to receive treatment.

That is absolutely scandalous, as I well know cancer has to be treated quickly.

On one hand I wanted the Conservatives to fail after they ruined my life and the lives of many others.

But they are the silly brothers; did they not think that if they trash the public services that people need, then people would turn against them, as is happening now in by-elections all over the country.

Jeremy Whiting, Great Lumley, Chester-le-Street.