An electoral earthquake on Thursday? Perhaps. But let's compare the 2019 and 2023 results.

Mid Beds? Labour vote steady, Tory vote down by 26K, total turnout down by 24K.

Tamworth? Labour vote up by 1K, Tory down 20K, total turnout down 20K

Conclusion? Labour got its vote out, there was a mild swing to them, but the overwhelming story is that the Tory vote stayed home.

And why wouldn’t they?

I’m no Tory myself, but I have friends who are. They are all ashamed of what the Tory party has become, appalled by the exposure of Johnson’s quasi-criminal actions, soiled by the words and actions of those zealots currently squatting in positions of power in the Party and the nation.

These friends could never vote Labour, but equally will never support those they see as morally beyond the pale.

Until these kind of people expelled, sidelined or snubbed by the Johnson cabal and people like Major, Heseltine, Rudd, and Greening return to create a sane right-wing option for such voters, results such as last night’s will continue to occur.

This was shown locally back in May, when many former dependably-Tory councillors chose to deem themselves ‘independents’ to get elected.

David Lewis,

Church End,

Cawood,

Selby

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Please pick up your dog's mess - so irresponsible

THERE is some very irresponsible person who allows their dog to repeatedly foul in the garden of my elderly friend’s home in Holly Bank Grove.

If the animal’s owner is reading this letter will they please take their dog’s discharges back home and dispose of them.

Luckily, on this occasion they did not squat on the path as, in the past. it has finished on the bottom of shoes and subsequently ended up fouling the floor inside the house.

How can people be so irresponsible regarding their pets' foul deposits?

Mary Morton,

Hob Moor Drive,

Holgate,

York

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Photo brings back memories of Elim Church

YOUR photo of Elim Church (October 11) brought back memories of lovely times going to the church on a Sunday - our parents pushed us out so they could get a bit of peace (and also one evening during the week).

The lady at the front wearing a knitted beret I think was called Lily Denny and lived in Spalding Avenue, Clifton.

She paid our 2 pence bus fare from Burdyke Ave to the church out of her own money.

We raised money for oversea charities by selling a book with pictures of babies from overseas countries.

At the end of the service we were offered a cup of hot chocolate, cocoa or an Oxo drink.

Does anyone else have memories of Lily Denny?

Lynda Wrigglesworth,

Melwood Grove,

York

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Parents must make sure children go to school

AFTER watching the news about child attendance at schools and colleges where truancy is sometimes as much as 25 per cent, can someone answer my question "Where the hell are the parents to make sure this cannot happen"?

The children's future lays with the parents not the school - it is their responsibility and no one else's.

T J Ryder,

Acomb,

York

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Safety first please

WITH the dark nights and mornings fast approaching it's time the City of York Council priorities it maintenance efforts.

On Grove's Lane outside St Wilfred's school the low wooden barriers in the St John's Street car park have rotted and been damaged with the metal jointing brackets twisted and sticking out into the footpaths.

The council are aware of them - they all have the orange mark of pending work on them.

Does a child have to impale themselves or suffer a cut before they act?

Don't forget prevention is better than cure, York council.

D M Deamer,

Penleys Grove Street,

Monkgate,

York