Jean Frost (Letters, May 16) is right to say that we should think carefully before casting our votes, but she is wrong to blame the Tories for supporting an elite few.

History shows us that the elite few are very often socialists, many of whom have made their money on the backs of the labouring classes which have fallen for their rhetoric. Just look at the various post-war union leaders. They were very comfortably off whilst the great majority had to struggle.

The unwritten mantra of the elite who control socialism has long been, “don’t do as we do, do as we say.” This was demonstrated with absolute clarity in the old USSR, the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics. This wicked country, with its ideals of the state running everything and the ownership of private property being prohibited, was so oppressive that it imprisoned its population within its boundaries, to prevent them from mixing with the free world and seeing there was a better alternative to the oppression it practised.

That’s the sort of world the UK would be moving to were its electorate to be unwise enough to elect Jeremy Corbyn and his fellow socialists. Labour’s plans for taxing the corporations and the higher earners will not end there. They will eventually tax the very poorest in order to fund their grandiose ideals.

I lived through the various post-war socialist governments. I know what it was like for the ordinary man and woman. It took that great Tory, Margaret Thatcher, to free the working people of this country from the shackles of socialism. We should never go back to it.

J C Potter, Eastfield Avenue, Haxby, York

Developers will not work for nothing

The comments by Rachel Maskell and Jon Healey on housing and planning (Labour’s pledge on homes, May 16) are illogical and show they have no grasp of financial reality.

The York Central (teardrop) site has been unable to attract a developer for years because the difficulties and obligations far outweigh any potential rewards for the risks involved. Labour’s proposed new solution to detrimentally impact profits and “drive better better bargains with developers” will simply mean that no private business will ever lay a single brick on that site.

No one is going to build at a loss or to just break even. Why should they? Any individual or firm prepared to take on a project which provides new buildings and jobs is entitled to a profit which recognises the effort of the enterprise.

Our MP and the shadow housing minister seem to miss the fact that the more profit is made the more tax revenue is collected by government to fund its spending.

Matthew Laverack, Lord Mayors Walk, York

Candidate decision akin to vote-rigging

As a follower of politics in York and a regular candidate in the elections, I was appalled to read about the Green Party and their decision not to post a candidate in York Central in the hope that more people will switch their allegiance to Labour rather than vote Conservative. This is totally undemocratic and is akin to vote rigging. And it’s not for any local benefit but to try and achieve some forlorn hope that the UK’s exit from the EU will be reversed.

So basically a party doesn’t believe it is strong enough to be elected and form an alliance to achieve the same goal. So why bother being the Green Party if you think no one will vote for you? You are not there to foist your own views on people - you are there to represent them.

The UK has already voted to leave the EU and that is a done deal which will not be repealed. I just hope that voters in the York area see through this thin attempt at voting manipulation and vote for the Conservative candidate instead. Long Live Democracy!

Eddie Vee, Chancellor Grove, York

Vote-swap shows system is broken

JAMES Blanchard (Lib-Dem candidate for York Outer) has agreed in The Press (May 4) with the aspect of ‘vote swapping’ but then goes on to state that this is a sign of how dysfunctional the electoral system was.

From my point of view it shows how dysfunctional his and the Lib-Dem philosophy and thinking is. I live in the York Outer constituency and I am a card carrying member of York Labour Party. Supposing I was selected to stand for Labour in York Outer (which I am not), would Mr Blanchard really expect me as a would-be candidate to vote for him rather than the party I might have been selected to represent? Not a chance of that happening.

Any political party with core and true values urges people to vote for the party that they support and not to entertain what is known as ‘tactical voting’.

I look forward within the next five weeks to a member of the Lib-Dems knocking on my door asking me to vote for them rather than Labour that I am a card-carrying member of. That could be fun!

Obviously Labour voters can do exactly as they choose but I would urge them to support the Labour Party as they have done in the past on local issues, and so into the General Election on June 8.

Howard Perry, St James Place, Dringhouses, York