Joe Debono Grech has always struck me as a great politician. True, he could do with lowering his voice but, as a person, he is the type to say what he feels and feel what he says.

One of those people whose bark is worse than his bite but true to his Labour principles – Mr Debono Grech sticks his neck out for the ordinary worker. He is known to go on and on about the good past work of Labour governments – in fact, there is not a debate either on radio or television in which he does not take us on a journey into the past.

Some time ago on Labour’s radio station, while discussing Labour Party policies with vice-president Dr Stefan Zrinzo, I literally could not help bursting into laughter at something he said. Mr Debono Grech, cool as a cucumber, stated that the Nationalist Party will soon come up with a new promise to win this election – “If the Nationalist Party returns to power, those who vote for them will not die”.

Though what he said was meant to be funny, I could not help realising that there was more than a little element of the truth in what he said. A Nationalist government will promise anything to try to win the election.

Undelivered promises go hand in glove with the Nationalist Party. “Judge me for what I do and not for what I say,” they repeated over and over again. But what has actually been done is that the cost of living has increased. Deny it or not, there are actually over 11,000 people looking for work. The PN has literally given us one cold shower after another with the famous taxes and today – not like in the past – a woman has to go out to work out of necessity, not out of boredom. On top of all this, the scandal of Watergate is mild compared to the scandals we keep hearing about associated with the Nationalist Party.

Mr Debono Grech was right; maybe they will not literally promise us the gift of eternal life, but they do make a mockery of the truth.

The question is: are there many fools left ready to believe them”.

Valerie Borg

Valletta