PAMELA Bottomley (Letters – August 17) paints a picture of the last Labour Government which few will recognise.

The last government, which unlike the present one, was elected in a huge popular landslide and enacted a wealth of progressive reforms.

The minimum wage was introduced, as were regional assemblies for Wales and Scotland, our public services received a decent shot of public spending for the first time in years, peace was brought to Northern Ireland, civil partnerships were introduced, the gay age of consent was equalised and the House of Lords reformed.

Other long overdue changes included the abolition of fox hunting and the banning of smoking in public places.

CCTV cameras, which Ms Bottomley implied she dislikes, did not first appear under Blair but have gradually been being introduced since the 1970s.

The recession which hit Britain can hardly be blamed solely on Labour and the country is nowhere near close to bankruptcy even now despite what she claims.

Her claims about the benefit system and the electoral process didn't make sense.

One wonders which parties Ms Bottomley finds more progressive than Labour?

The Tories, whose savage spending cuts risk stifling economic recovery, or the Liberal Democrats who slavishly support everything the Tories do?

Chris Hallam

Exeter