The more people saw of Theresa May, the more people saw how incredibly incompetent and out-of-touch she really is.

Labour also offered a real progressive vision of hope.

Unlike the Tories, we offered a full-costed manifesto that promised more investment in our critically under-funded public services, scrapping tuition fees and this resonated with the people of Colchester.

For years commuters in Colchester have suffered through rip-off rail prices and a poor service run by a Dutch company.

Jeremy has proposed freezing rail prices, investing in our railways and taking our trains back into public ownership.

We also know Colchester has suffered for years under the Tories with a lack of infrastructure.

Labour was promising real investment in this area.

Crime and anti-social behaviour has been on the rise in Colchester due to massive police cuts and people are now losing faith in the police because of this underfunding.

Labour was determined to increase police officer numbers around the country and put a focus on community policing.

Our schools have spent years of having their budgets cut and having teachers overworked.

We now have record numbers of teachers leaving the profession and we do not have enough trainees in place to fill the gaps.

We have also seen the armed forces so underfunded under this Tory government that Middlewick Ranges has been forced to be sold off for housing so the MoD can raise enough money to not run a deficit.

People have had enough.

We are now at a stage where Theresa May has to meet the right-wing pressure group of the Conservative Party, the 1922 committee, before she meets her own cabinet.

She now even admits that austerity isn’t working and that suddenly there is money.

While she spread fears of a coalition of chaos she is now leading one with the DUP, a party with homophobic and anti-abortion views.

There is only one alternative to this and that is to vote Labour.

Lee Scordis, Labour councillor, Wallace Road, Colchester

  • Teething problems? It’s full toothache

THE reports on all the teething problems being faced by the council on the introduction of the waste and recycling scheme, these teething problems are causing full scale toothache in our Langham Shop.

Our shop agreed to act as a bona fide supporter of the scheme as an agent holding refuse boxes and garden sacks for the local area.

These last two weeks have been mayhem.

We ran out of glass/tins boxes by the end of the first day, swiftly followed by the garden sacks to people with vouchers.

People came from all around - Colchester, Manningtree and Marks Tey - often only to find we had run out.

Many were without their vouchers and even did not have a clue what they were supposed to be doing with their rubbish.

All of us behind the counter are volunteers and enjoy doing our bit for our village community.

The shop is getting no payment for this extra service. The boxes, when we have any, fill every last corner.

We had no one from the council to see just how the scheme was working and we were left acting as advisers, sympathisers and apologists on their behalf.

At least the council could acknowledge the work we are doing on their behalf and the huge amount we must be saving them.

Ann Lunn, Moor Road, Langham

  • Proof apathy does not always win

Maldon District Council last week unanimously voted to refuse permission for Heybridge Swifts Football Club to move to a site in the Goldhanger Road.

Our contention has always been this was an unsuitable site surrounded as it is by a rural environment and activities.

It was apparent the planning officer had made a thorough assessment of the evidence, and objections, and found the case was overpoweringly against; at the meeting one councillor condemned it as the worst place in Essex for such a development.

This relocation would certainly have caused disruption on a wide scale and to a very large numbers of people.

May I express thanks to every single person involved.

Too often bad things happen because no action is taken, apathy wins and matters go by default.

Patrick Forsyth, Goldhanger Road Group, Saltcote Maltings, Maldon

  • Police should have acted sooner to stop travellers

I’m afraid the police failed in not using their Section 61 powers earlier, given there was clear evidence of travellers smashing the gate to gain access then reports of breaking into a wooden shed and roaring round the grass pitches damaging them.

They could have used their powers on Sunday night or Monday morning.

Residents have told me they feel very let down.

I am on the Local Plan panel where I have raised the issue of a large transit site over the period, Essex County Council is trying to identify location or locations in the county.

The traveller community previously stated their preferred location was near the junction of the A12 and A120.

Gerard Oxford, Highwoods Independent Group, Princess Drive, Colchester