I was disappointed to read the letter submitted last week by Leo Robinson to this letters page – Governing with ‘one nation’ policies has public support (Keighley News, August 22).

It presents a partial view of the impact the coalition government and its austerity has had on our town.

There has been a rise in long-term unemployment from 285 people in Keighley when Kris Hopkins MP was elected in 2010 to 775 last month, with this still rising dramatically during the past year.

To all those people out of work in our town, they need their MP to accept the coalition’s work programme has failed, not just nationally, but here in our community in Keighley, affecting young people especially, with a million unemployed.

Furthermore, they demand he does something about it, especially now it has been confirmed Keighley is one of the most deprived towns in the region, But for those people in work, whether it is in the private or public sectors, there is still a cost-of-living crisis in the town. Whether it be the cost of fuel going up due to the coalition VAT increase, or the more than £1,500 a year a family with a single earner is losing due to the cuts to working families’ tax credit, including the childcare element, there is a real crisis.

The need for a living wage paid to all workers has never been greater, which is why the local Labour Party has launched a petition at bradfordlabour.org.uk/livingwage as well as this being a National Party focus.

His letter also makes the mistake of misunderstanding the difference between the existence of any body representative of the public, whether it be the British Parliament or a town council, and the views or acts of the people who are currently running it. The idea the public and their representatives should always try to work together to focus on what is important is a good one, and the fact that notion is so distasteful to some like Mr Robinson is disappointing.

I want rid of this coalition government, but my answer isn’t to seek to abolish Parliament itself. I will be working to make sure, however, that this is only a one-term government and a one-term Keighley MP, as Mr Hopkins has singularly failed to fill the ‘big political boots’ left by Ann Cryer.

Luke Maunsell Keighley