The Cornish Times received a letter from Sally Sweeney in Lostwithiel, which said:

Just for a moment I thought I was reading a promotional piece from Visit Cornwall; but no, it was indeed Mrs Murray’s Westminster column, in which she described a tour of the area she gave to a fellow MP.

It quickly became clear that she has joined the PM in his strategy of enthusiastically telling everyone how great everything is, in the vain hope that if he says it enough times we won’t notice the schools falling down, or the seven-million people on the NHS waiting list (to name just two current crises).

Whilst I agree that South East Cornwall is a wonderful place to live, readers had only to turn the page to be brought face to face with the grim reality of life under the Tories for many of Mrs Murray’s constituents.

A whole page was devoted to a piece from Saltash foodbank reporting a 55% increase in demand for their services, and a clear explanation of the struggles people are facing to afford the very basics of life. The Trussell Trust has launched a ‘Guarantee our Essentials’ campaign, aimed at bringing this issue to the attention of the government.

I notice Mrs Murray’s tour didn’t include any of the foodbanks which have spread throughout our area in the 13 years since the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government was elected in 2010.