Paul H Farley is mistaken in his assertion that “Well-known Socialists were hovering etc” around the Labour Party conference (Letters, October 9).

Mr Farley should be aware that the present Labour Party is no longer Socialist in nature but a copy of the Conservative Party and, as such, no true Socialist would be seen hovering or anything else around the conference.

As all the earned income mentioned by Mr Farley is in the public domain, then presumably the relevant Income Tax has been paid, unlike the tax due on the billions upon billions of pounds salted away in overseas tax havens by industrialists, private equity dealers, shareholders et al.

It is highly unlikely that there is a Socialist among them.

Finally, yes, I got the message, which appears to be yet another Tory letter trying to deflect the blame for the parlous state of the nation away from the Conservatives.

Derek Shaw, River Street, York.