SIR – David Hornsby rightly points out that life expectancy varies across the country, (Letters, December 18). However, is he right to imply that pensionable age should not be raised because people die younger, for example in Glasgow’s most “deprived” areas. Wouldn’t a better solution be to improve health and lifestyles in these areas? I doubt that Labour would alter Chancellor Osborne’s plans to raise the pensionable age.

In his letter of December 19, he acknowledges Labour’s failure to regulate the financial sector, but justifies this by saying that tax raised from bankers was funnelled to the less well-off. Just as well as they scrapped the 10p tax rate, forcing the lowest paid to pay at the higher rate. The Coalition, in contrast (at the Lib-Dems’ instigation), has raised the tax threshold, taking very many of the lowest paid out of tax altogether, effectively giving a tax rebate worth more than £700.

He is, however, totally right in stating that government should do more in running the economy. Essential services should be properly run and regulated and not for private gain. Welsh Water – properly managed by a ‘trust’ and reinvesting all profits, could be a model.

John Hall, Pennithorne Avenue, Baildon