Councillor Ray Burston's rather rambling letter (May 10) concludes by putting in a good word for the younger generation.

In the middle, like any good Tory, he gets in a dig at the permissive 1960s'.

Isn't it about time we started looking at the effects of government policy in more recent decades? If we can divide the postwar years into two halves, then why hasn't the second half (since 1979) corrected the problems allegedly caused by the first?

Governments since 1979, with the exception of the Major government, have had substantial majorities to get their policies through.

Margaret Thatcher's governments made the key reforms and Tony Blair's governments have continued, to a large extent, in the same vein.

Key features of these years have been an increasing focus on the market - profit is all-important and connected to this, growing inequality.

If a society has these characteristics, it is hardly surprising if it also has the problems of crime and anti-social behaviour that Cllr Burston bemoans.

Since the Conservatives have effectively been in power since 1979 - New Labour has stolen their clothes - the country now faces a dilemma as we move towards the next general election.

John Payne, Respect, Halesowen.