IN RESPONSE to Gareth Manson s letter Harry Patch was an inspiration , I am yet again disgusted at how politicians hi-jack the good name of people in order to further their ambitions.

IN RESPONSE to Gareth Manson's letter "Harry Patch was an inspiration", I am yet again disgusted at how politicians hi-jack the good name of people in order to further their ambitions. Mr Manson writes how Harry

Patch was an inspiration in the past tense, so I take it he no longer inspires?

Harry Patch fought in the bloodiest war the World has ever seen to preserve for his fellow citizens the freedom to choose who they are governed by, plus many other freedoms. Many of his comrades were quite literally blown to bits preserving these freedoms.

Again, in 1939, another generation did the same, and, after millions have given their lives to protect their country from foreign powers and dictatorships, we find Mr Manson's Labour party giving away these very freedoms, cheered on at the sidelines by the Tories and Lib Dems for they, too, will not save our country.

How dare they betray Harry Patch and all those who gave their lives? These gutless politicians sell our country out and then use real heroes, such as Harry Patch, to further their cause - in Harry's time these people would be put to the wall and shot for treason!

As Mr Manson writes: "In 1900, women were denied the vote and many opportunities were closed to them. "Well, guess what? Today it is even worse, for we, both men and women, are now denied a vote to determine our future. Not one person in the UK has ever voted for our country to be in the EU. The Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat parties all deny our basic freedom to choose by whom we are governed. Something Harry's mates paid for with their lives.

Many will argue that we cannot survive as a nation without the EU. That is a defeatist attitude, something, thankfully, all those who fought and died for us did not have. Imagine if our current politicians had been in power when Harry Patch was a young man. Surely then they would not have died, but instead spent the rest of their lives learning to speak German!

Mr Manson is right in one respect. We should indeed take inspiration from Harry and his mates, for they were prepared to give their lives so we can enjoy our freedoms. If only the politicians took that as inspiration instead of capitulating to the EU like a Vichy government!

As an ex-soldier who served this country for 24 years, I was prepared, like Harry Patch, to make the ultimate sacrifice, and not sell this country out!

Mike Amor,

21 Heraldry Way,

Exeter.