• REGARDING your Forum (The Tory press undermines democracy, May 25) Jonathan Schlosberg writes: “What kind of democracy allows a sitting prime minister to refuse to debate publicly with any of the opposition and yet still get away with calling it an election about ‘leadership’? Whatever the result, these are the kind of questions that must be addressed if we are to stem the brewing crisis of legitimacy and public trust in our political system.”

What would a Tory UK-controlled Internet be like? Perhaps here are a few clues:

Email is an internet resource, and the Department for Work & Pensions sanctions benefit claimants for non-attendance at interviews that the DWP says it notified the claimant of by email, even when the claimant has no record of receiving such email.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group has heard that from a number of claimants outside Kilburn Jobcentre, one of the customer-facing outlets that the DWP intends to close without a public consultation.

How does the DWP justify such jobcentre closures that will make longer journeys to jobcentres? The DWP claims that 99 per cent of Universal Credit claims are made online – as if claimants had a choice on the matter.

And CNJ readers whose world vision is not constrained by the Tory press know at least a little of what a disaster Universal Credit is.

Currently, an Internet search can reveal that the Chinese have a term “guolaosi”, meaning those who are worked to death producing consumer goods for the Western market. The Tory Health Secretary says NHS workers should emulate the Chinese workforce. So what would a Tory UK Government-controlled Internet look like after the forthcoming polling day?

Voters should ponder such matters and act while they still have choices regarding their online news and information sources.

ALAN WHEATLEY
Croftdown Road, NW5