MR D R Smith has such a hatred of Conservative politicians that he will stop at absolutely nothing to try to damage their reputation publicly.

He and his Labour Party colleagues have repeated the line about the cost of Royston Smith’s local referendums knowing it to be untrue.

He also knows that Royston Smith doesn’t expect to get elected merely because he is the local candidate, even if that qualification is important to many voters.

He talks about the Labour candidate and why she is more suitable than Royston Smith. He says she is a frequent visitor to Parliament.

With all due respect to Mr Smith, in which context exactly is she a frequent visitor to Parliament?

She isn’t elected to anything as far as I am aware. Japanese tourists are frequent visitors to Parliament but that doesn’t give them a qualification to represent Southampton’s residents.

Mr Smith is, as is frequently the case, talking nonsense.

R HAYDON, Southampton.