Tory MPS have done nothing to merit loyalty from their core voters
sir – If the latest poll comes as a surprise to Conservative MPS (“Tories facing 1997-style wipeout”, report, January 15), therein lies the problem.
In their Westminster cocoon, they have completely lost touch with voters and their concerns, instead wasting their time virtue-signalling on net zero and the Rwanda policy (which would be unnecessary had the Tories done anything about illegal migration over the past decade).
A succession of at best inept and at worst dishonest prime ministers has contrived to make the party unelectable. The Tories have squandered their chance, and voters will be asking themselves if Sir Keir Starmer could possibly be any worse. Rupert Godfrey
Heytesbury, Wiltshire
sir – I doubt the poll predicting a Conservative wipeout will have come as a surprise to the dwindling band of party activists. I was one of them for more than 40 years, as a former parliamentary candidate and local councillor. But after careful reflection I have decided that I can no longer knock on people’s doors and ask them to vote Conservative.
What we have today among all the main parties is a social-democrat consensus that supports more government, more taxes and more immigration.
I would therefore welcome a clean-out of the Conservative parliamentary party. Then we can start again.
David Evans
Maidenhead, Berkshire
sir – Reform UK puzzles me. It proposes to fight every seat at the next election but must know that it will not win any, and will simply cause the Conservatives to lose seats.
This could lead to a Labour government with a large majority, led by an ardent Remainer who has stated that he wishes to take us closer to the EU. We will not rejoin but may well end up having to follow EU rules with no say in the matter: the worst of all worlds. Sir Keir Starmer is also weak on immigration. Yet Reform, the party of Brexit and immigration controls, is in effect supporting him.
Any Conservatives considering voting for this party need to think carefully about the consequences.
Paul Hearn
Lambourn, Berkshire
sir – The picture painted by Lord Frost (Comment, January 15) is gloomy indeed. But were the Tories to take his advice and offer a truly Conservative manifesto at the general election, would anyone believe they would act on it?
There is widespread apathy, not just among the electorate but also the British workforce – which is inhibiting our economic prosperity. Who can galvanise our country into being great again?
Michael Allisstone
Chichester, West Sussex