It was interesting to read Glyn Morris’ letter about the Lib Dems’ claims to be the rightful party to represent Pontypridd (Viewpoints, April 22).

They based their claims on the results of a local election in which they came first only two years earlier, but also in which some of their vote went to the Loony Party! While the Loonies seem likely to take more votes from the Lib Dems in Cardiff Central after coming above them in a poll of Cardiff students, here in Pontypridd things are looking much worse for them.

Of the numerous elections over the past two years in Pontypridd in which the Green Party stood, the Lib Dems always lost and Labour always won, including in a seat the Lib Dems held for a decade. In the election last year in which both the Greens and UKIP stood the Lib Dems came fifth. And guess what? Both the Greens and UKIP are standing in Pontypridd in this General Election.

With Nick Clegg making his party’s policy on Europe look like a cross between a German Shepherd and a French poodle (ever closer union, even less influence), these minor parties look even more likely to take votes away from the Lib Dems.

While the TV debates have given Nick Clegg the legitimacy of the established leaders, the people of Pontypridd and the UK as a whole are not stupid. They know that voting Lib Dem instead of Labour means either a David Cameron victory or a hung Parliament and that neither will be good for the economic recovery, in which a majority government willing to work with European and other world partners is needed.

Growing businesses, like mine based in Abercynon, are worried about what impact the next government is going to have on our ability to increase the number of people we employ to deliver for our stakeholders.

All parties are currently committed to increasing the minimum wage, which will increase business costs, especially if employers have to pay more national insurance on top.

The Conservatives’ policy not to increase NI seems on the face of it more appealing than that proposed by Labour.

The Tories say they can afford to make their changes to national insurance, but if you look at their statements in detail they can’t. They are based on back-of-an-envelope doubling of Labour’s annual savings of pounds 15bn in only nine months. At the last election, even the Tories themselves said it would take three years to make this amount of savings.

Yes the business leaders in England are right, that the NI increases are a tax on jobs. However, I’m not as foolish as them to believe the Tories are on the side of those wanting to remain in or enter the job market.

We all know their priorities are the wealthiest 3,000 households in Britain, and not those who have to work hard for every penny they have.