NOW that all the hullabaloo of the Labour Party conference is over, where was the mention from leaders about the most important issues?

Law and order, competing against the Tiger Economies of China and the Far East in manufacturing, immigration, cutting down on bureaucracy etc.

No details on any! Just a gathering of “production-line” career politicians, both the latest models and the dated ones, jostling for position, even at the expense of their siblings and spouses.

Hugging, kissing and praising replaced the back-stabbing and “voting against” prevalent over the previous weeks.

Bland, uninformative speeches delivered via autocue, which seemed alien to some of the speakers.

In my opinion it was simply a collection of self-satisfying champagne socialists, many of whom don’t even understand or care about the anxieties of ordinary voters.

Andrew Halliday, Hallfield Lane, Wetherby. • ALTHOUGH I am not a member of the Labour Party, I did get to vote in the leadership election.

I did like some of the things said by some of the candidates, but I was disappointed that a “none of the above” box was not available on the ballot form.

I have long felt this should be available at every election. If this box received the most votes, then all candidates would be sacked and the election run again with new candidates.

The Tory party and others on the right have been vociferous in their condemnation of “the mess Labour has left the country in”.

Well, I recognise hypocrisy when I see it. The crash in our economy appears to have been brought about by a greed-fuelled frenzy in the privately run finance industry. Labour was guilty of failing to regulate the that industry to prevent such events.

The new coalition government has already been warned by the finance industry to keep its hands off further regulation. How can we allow a private industry bring the country to its knees?

Despite the bluster, it is business as usual with the rest of us left to pick up the bill.

Charlie Urquhart, Millfield Road, York.

• AT THE Labour Party Conference, both new leader Ed Miliband and deputy leader Harriet Harman spoke of why Labour lost the last General Election, stating that “We lost touch with many of our supporters”.

They gave examples, both stressing immigration.

They are absolutely right on this subject, and much of Europe has been plagued with the same concerns; governments in The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Sweden find themselves, like the UK, without one party having a majority. France is already deporting hundreds of immigrants of one type or another. Others are being pressurised by their peoples to adopt many of the French tactics. The rise of extremist parties in several European nations, led by politicians such as Jimmie Akesson in Sweden, are fanning the flames of popular discontent, especially against economic migrants from the Balkans and the Middle East.

What is most worrying is the abject failure and unwillingness of mainstream parties to face these issues. If they all continue to shirk this challenge posed by economic migration, the far right will continue to prosper. David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Acomb, York.

• THE Labour Party conference proved two things. New Labour is oh-so yesterday and sanity was achieved by electing Ed Miliband as leader over brother David.

The right wing media were quick to paint Labour’s latest messiah as Red Ed. Anyone would have a red hue compared to the ultra blue of the ConDems.

Unimpressed by some of Ed’s speech, I later realised he would have to wait to add flesh to the bones of policy until after the ConDems slash-and-burn review.

Team Clegg/Cameron are to rely on an improving economy to offset any public sector decimation. A public-sector job gone here, a private sector job added there. Wishful thinking in a scenario of already huge unemployment.

Unless some emollient is added to savage cuts, many LibDems could support a revitalised Labour in Parliament and vote some cuts down.

Whatever cuts occur, Ed must ensure Labour policy safeguards civil liberty to undo the damage of authoritarians Blair and Brown. He has to demand equality, improved pensions, plentiful housing and work/life balance.

It’s all to play for Ed, but only if you reconnect with the soul of this nation. Austerity – no thanks!

T Scaife, Manor Drive, York.