SIR – Re ‘Paying the price now’, (T&A Letters, January 4), I do so agree with much of what Ian Parsons writes regarding the Thatcher Government.

However, I do not believe that the Coalition Government is dismantling the Welfare State nor privatising the NHS (certainly not the Lib-Dems!). A few Tories may want to, but they are in a minority.

Of course, our electoral system does give absolute power to governments elected by minorities, but I believe NHS privateers are a minority within a minority.

If Mr Parsons is referring to private health providers taking on NHS work (“creeping privatisation”), these were used extensively by Labour “to reduce waiting lists”, thereby bolstering private providers.

I agree that Socialism did not create the financial meltdown of 2008. It was under-regulated capitalism, but who under-regulated it? Labour!

John Hall, Pennithorne Avenue, Shipley