MR Mahoney (Ukip councillor for Sully) has honoured me by commenting on, as he calls it, my ‘hysterical’ letter regarding Tory splinter group Ukip, and he has bemoaned my apparent ‘obsession with ranting on about millionaires funding political parties’.

I must admit that it brings back fond memories to hear politics argued at the level of the school yard from the Ukip representative.

I support that Mr Mahoney is understandably annoyed at the weekly press exposures of his fellow councillors and PPC’s that are revealing the true face of Ukip.

If, Mr Mahoney, you have indeed given freely of your time to help members of your GMB branch then I am sure you will remember the old union saying that ‘an attack upon one is an attack upon all.’

Could you then explain where your commitment to this principle was when you joined a party whose representatives have referred to gay people as ‘disgusting’, women as ‘birds’ and working class people as ‘peasants’ and as ‘bigots that need representing’, that has decided to attack working class immigrant people instead of the rich tax dodgers?

Why, as a trade unionist, have you joined a party that represents Margaret Thatcher and all that her government did to the people of Wales?

Mr Mahoney seems to believe that I am a supporter of the Labour Party because I condemn the Tory values of Ukip and the Conservative Party.

However, my criticisms extend to all parties that act in the interests of the rich at the expense of the poor, Labour included.

My vote will go to a candidate/party that seeks to defend the interests of the poor in defiance of the rich and that, Mr Mahoney, does not seem to be your party.

So, like the majority of voters out there after May 7, let’s ignore Ukip and their ramblings for a while and deal with the real issues that concern people.

David Cameron pledged on February 14 to cut benefits for obese people, and addicts who ‘refuse’ to change their lifestyle. Then on February 17 he said young people on benefits would have to do daily community work as well as looking for work.

The Tories has earlier trailed that they wanted to ‘get rid of that well-worn path from the school gate, down to the job centre, and on to a life of benefits’.

But the vast majority of benefit claims are for short periods – less than half of Job Seekers Allowance is for more than 13 weeks and less than 10 per cent are for more than a year.

But facts don’t matter to the Tories. Their vindictive messages are meant to divide us and distract from the real people who really rip us off.

Cameron’s real message is, ‘Don’t blame the chief executive for evading millions in taxes. Turn your hatred on the person next door who claims benefit'.

Labour should savage such moves. Instead its leaders accept most of what the Tories say about benefits and come up with their own plan to force people into low paid work.

That’s why we need the greatest possible unity against the Tory attacks. And, Mr Mahoney, I would call on the unity of the trade union movement in this fight, which I hope will include members of the GMB who have not forgotten which class they owe their loyalty to.

Dean Scurlock

Penarth