MANY thanks to John Grogan, MP, and Hugh Bayley, MP for their New Year’s messages, putting us on a hard times ahead alert.

It’s a bit rich coming from two MPs who have only to board a rattler down to the smoke (pardon the pun, Mr Bayley), and submit an expenses sheet, and they are as happy as two honey bees on a five-leafed clover.

John Grogan’s advice to us mere mortals is to batten down the hatches and wait for the storm to abate. My New Year message to him is, this ain’t no storm, we are on a sinking ship.

Ken Holmes, Cliffe Common, Selby, York.