RIGHTLY or wrongly I believed that people went into politics to make society better. Whether or not I agreed with a particular way forward or the actions people took, I used to think that the other political parties did what they honestly thought was for the best.

Sadly, a slurry of attacks have befallen staff and families across the city as Southampton Conservatives launch a campaign calling for Surestart centres to be saved from Labour closure.

This scaremongering is politics at its worst and the Tory leaders of this authority should hang their heads in shame for telling such lies.

Accusing Labour of wanting to close these vital centres is the sadly the politics of fear. The only threat to Surestart is from the Tory national Government or the current Conservative controlled council; they are the ones in charge.

As a new father, recently acknowledged in the council chamber, this kind of campaign makes me sick. As a councillor, it disgusts me that elected representatives of the good people of Southampton could spread such untruths.

CLLR ASA THORPE, Labour councillor for Millbrook.