Luke Stanger, aged 14, just about summed it up when he said, “This is a protest against the Con-Dem Government. While it’s the same old Tories…” (The Argus, January 12). I thought he was supposed to be protesting about the abolition of EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance).

So can we not conclude that Mr Stanger would have no objection to cuts implemented by a Labour-led coalition or government, which they would have carried out sooner or later, given the huge government debt?

For Mr Stanger’s information some of the severest austerity measures have been carried out by Labour governments, for example in 1946-51 and 1974-79 – but he cannot be expected to remember this.

Martin Porritt
Edward Street, Brighton