SIR – How can John Hall claim Lib-Dems act as a brake on Tory excesses in the coalition (Letters, June 20) when they reneged on their manifesto and gave their unwavering support to the maximum increase in university fees?

And it is the pensioners residing in the UK who are suffering because of cuts in the winter fuel allowance, not the wealthy senior citizens or the ex-pats living in warmer climes who should never have received this subsidy in the first place.

Mr Hall admits having reservations about requiring people to pay more for ‘spare’ rooms (Letters, June 29) but apparently not the MPs in his party for the ‘bedroom’ tax was implemented and is causing much distress for low-income families as well as the unemployed.

What was that about brakes?

David Rhodes, Croscombe Walk, Bradford