I FEEL I have to reply to Peter Hardy’s outburst (HAS, April 6) against “certain” members of this Labour Government exploiting the allowances system, which I agree is disgraceful, but this practice is being carried out by various individuals from all of the parties in the House of Commons.

He obviously didn’t watch BBC TV’s Question Time recently when Eric Pickles, the Conservative Party chairman, was given a rough time by the audience about the same thing.

In fact, I don’t think I have seen a politician squirm as much as he did. He was later quoted as saying that it was like being in a car crash in slow motion – such was his disquiet.

Then, Mr Hardy talks about this “sleazy” Labour Government: dithering, yes; out of touch, maybe; losing the plot, possibly; but sleaze?

If he wants to learn about sleaze he just needs to read up about the last years of the previous Tory government in the Nineties. That’s sleaze – and this Labour Government looks positively angelic in comparison.

Alan Dodgson, Barnard Castle, Co Durham.