THE televised live debate about benefits (Feb 3) was a kick in the teeth for the Tories who expected to turn the working class against each other.

It didn’t work. Apart from Edwina Curry, and a peroxide blonde who I can’t name, the audience were firmly with the unemployed.

Luckily, I am retired, so I must be classed as a semi-scrounger but to be looking for work and be classed as a scrounger living off the state is despicable.

It you really want to see scroungers, tune in to the BBC Parliament channel and watch the House of Lords in “action”.

You will see rows and rows of worthless parasites receiving more money per day than families have to live on for a whole week.

Terry Tucker, St Helen, Auckland.