YOUR correspondent Richard Putley (Postbag, December 29) is wrong to blame the Conservatives for the ills of our railway system.

Our railways were destroyed a long time ago under a Labour government, when a large part of the system was closed by Lord Beeching. They took the easy way of closure rather than investment and improvement.

As a result, more freight was put on to our roads, causing much of the congestion we have in our towns and cities today.

A Conservative government ended the failing nationalised railway system and encouraged private investment, but how could anyone expect investors to risk as much as was required under the threat by Labour to re-nationalise when they came to power. Another one of their pledges they failed to keep. EU money has not helped projects in this country, it is our money. Since 1973. when we joined the Common Market, now the EU, we have paid £30 million per day. We get about half of that back, providing we can get matched funding. By my calculation we have paid £147 billion to be spent by our partners.

When we entered the Common Market we had a trade surplus with Europe, now we have a trade deficit.

COUN ALEC WALL, Bank Street, Stoke Bliss, Tenbury Wells.