Richard Cornelius (Letters, 13 June) states that critics of Barnet’s outsourcing policy should be open to challenge. He also makes reference to a campaign of the “hard left”. Here are my own credentials, which I invite Mr. Cornelius to scrutinise and challenge. I have a 40 year old son who can’t walk or talk, nor manage what we euphemistically term his personal care. He’s also blind in one eye, and has a yard of stainless steel plugged into his spine. In fact, he’s just the sort of person that Your Choice Barnet would be aiming to make a profit from.

Whilst his excellent day centre, Rosa Morison, has so far been spared cuts, I have little confidence that this state of affairs will continue, especially given the original YCB fantasy business case, its financial objectives, and track record so far. Any deterioration of the service would have a devastating effect on my son’s quality and enjoyment of life. So I am proud and pleased to campaign as a member of CADDSS. Bringing the services back in-house may not be perfect, but far better than leaving our vulnerable loved ones open to the whims of the marketplace.

Incidentally, as far as the simplistic “hard left” label is concerned, I must admit that whilst I’ve never brought myself to vote Conservative, neither have I ever been a member of any trade union, nor agitated on their behalf. Yes, together with other parents and carers, I was waving banners around last month, my first time at the age of seventy-five. They were doing it for their children and siblings, I for my son. Does Mr. Cornelius really  understand?

Yours, Tony Solomons