I was amused by Rick Jewell’s letter (‘Tories have caused problems’, Opinion, February 18) in which he refers to Councillor Michael Rye as “Mr Forgetful” and accuses him of hypocrisy.

Surely, the writer qualifies for these epithets himself as he clearly fails to remember the fact that it was the last Labour government that nearly bankrupted this country, and the present necessary reductions in funding are due to this.

Mr Jewell belittles the Conservative objection to the leaving of park gates open during the night and fails to realise that a likely result of this is that rate-payers will be faced with major additional costs, which will dwarf any hoped for savings. This Labour proposal does not make economic sense and is of much relevance to residents, and opposition to it is fully justified. A trial, as the council puts it, could likely be very expensive.

I would advise Mr Jewell to take heed of the saying concerning stones and glass houses.

David Orfeur

Downes Court, Winchmore Hill