Blair Swamped by Letters of Public Outrage

11.50.17am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 25th May 2004

The number of letters written to the Prime Minister has more than tripled since 1998 to over a million a year, East Midlands Lib Dem Euro-MP, Bill Newton Dunn, revealed today.

As Tony Blair's popularity continues to sink to new depths, the number of letters sent to the Prime Minister has shot through the roof - from 300,000 in 1998 to over one million in 2003.

The figures were revealed in a Parliamentary answer to Liberal Democrat Party Chairman, Matthew Taylor. It was also revealed that that Tony Blair has had to hire extra staff to reply to the letters, costing taxpayer £165,000 in the 2002-2003 financial year.

Bill Newton Dunn said:

"It is not surprising that so many people are writing to the Prime Minister given the strength of public anger at his policy on in Iraq.

"Instead of employing staff to write his excuses he should match his promises with action.

"Letter writers should save the money they would be spending on paper, stamps and envelopes. Blair does not read these letters personally. Instead people should send him a different kind of letter - by using their postal vote in the European elections to say enough is enough. Actions will speak louder than words."