• THE two letters attacking Islington Labour (Labour is far less ‘toxic’ and The Labour Party in Islington has lost its focus, March 4) make allegations which are simply not true.

Labour’s council candidates were selected by a process both transparent and 100 per cent democratic, producing candidates with a range of political views selected on the basis of merit and a commitment to serving the people of Islington.

Contrast that with a certain neighbouring borough where a number of excellent, long-standing and universally respected councillors were denied the right to stand again because they stood outside “the Blair-Thatcher consensus” and put the interests of local people above those of property developers.

The policies of Corbyn supporters –

• defending the NHS and opposing its privatisation;

• building more council housing and less luxury housing;

• extending security of tenure to tenants in the private rented sector;

• giving every child the best possible education irrespective of parental income;

• ending zero-hour contracts and precarious employment;

• dealing with tax evasion and tax avoidance;

– are deemed by these two to be out of tune with voters.

Criticisms of Starmer are very mild compared to the constant, relentless, vicious and totally dishonest attacks on Corbyn by the hard right throughout his leadership of the Labour Party. Attacks which were a major factor contributing to Labour’s 2019 election defeat.

To Labour’s hard right, if the price of destroying Corbyn was giving Boris Johnson an 80-seat majority it was a price well worth paying. And they talk about loyalty.

PETE GILMAN, N1