BARRY Morrison alleges that, in 1997, Labour "inherited an economy on a very sound footing which it then started to destroy" (Your Views, July 14).

Labour inherited a £28 billion budget deficit and a national debt that had doubled under John Major and during the Clinton boom in America.

Within three years Labour restored the annual deficit to surplus and repaid more debt than the total repaid by all governments in 50 years.

At the same time they were tackling the inheritance of unemployment, crime, child and pensioner poverty, and the chronic underfunding of public services – all the social problems that had been created and ignored by a party obsessed with tax cuts.

Labour ensured the economy grew every quarter for 11 years. David Cameron said "the sun was shining brightest in 2005" – eight years into Labour government.

The coalition now seeks to discount the devastating aftershocks from the US sub-prime crash of 2007.

That spin may work if the growth that restarted last September is sustained. But if they try to cite international factors for any double-dip recession or prolonged high unemployment, voters will surely reply, "Coalition mess."

J BOWER Cossall Road Trowell