BEFORE UKIP's Ryan Newell (Letters, June 30) starts accusing others of failing to deliver, perhaps this pretend party will take a look at its own conduct in this respect.

For instance, UKIP fielded 495 candidates at the 2005 general election of whom just 37 managed to save their deposits. How's that for failing to deliver? Nor did it fare any better in this year's local elections in the few seats it attempted to contest.

On top of this, one of its general election candidates in Hampshire has been found to be supporting the far-right BNP; its MEPs are under investigation for fiddling their expenses amid reports of missing donations and other financial irregularities, and six of its officials have resigned.

This bunch were so incompetent they couldn't even change their name, to try to stem falling membership, without falling foul of the Electoral Commission.

TOM SPRING-SMYTH, Lyndhurst.