IN reply to Councillor Gavin Smithers' letter ''Labour must listen harder'' (Advertiser, November 1), it was good to hear the council can apply for Government help to make Redditch a better place to live.

However, I do not think councillors need a lesson about a Tory doctrine which reduced our country to a place where first class, First World citizens were reduced to working for Third World incomes.

I read that David Cartwright apologised, which is what an understanding and responsible person would do, which is more than some ministers in the last Tory Government could do over CJD-BSE, the tragic results of which we shall be witnessing in years to come.

Labour needs no lectures from a Tory about lack of vision or shallow understanding either.

I do not think Mr Smithers really understands what he is talking about because when the Conservative Party were in power, they listened to no-one, showed no vision and had very little understanding or grasp of problems of the day.

By the way, Mr Smithers, the definition of ''vision'' is the power to discern future conditions, sagacity in planning, and foresight. Something Tory doctrine will never understand.

David Hunt

Oakenshaw