Great pretender

He has allowed consumer debt to reach record levels. Even though he was warned about this three years ago he did nothing to control the spiralling personal debt in the UK.

It appears he has allowed the debt to rise so enabling the consumer to build the economy by allowing banks to throw more and more money at people already in serious debt. It is now starting to unravel in a sharp consumer spending downturn, resulting in many profit warnings from business and month after month of continuous shop sales.

Also one million manufacturing jobs have been lost since Labour came to power.

The Bank of England raises interest rates to control a bubble in the housing market (attained due to loans of up to six times personal income through the misuse of self certification mortgages) - but when rates rise it damages manufacturing and the retail sector.

Gordon Brown pretends to care about pensioners - but remember his derisory 75p weekly rise to them! Now after an increasing and wholly justifiable revolt from pensioners he is forced to offer some crumbs to them - he comes up with a one-off "bribe" of £200 off the council tax.

Does not the small print of his offer say that the £50 already promised for council tax relief will be deducted from this payment and according to recent reports millions of pensioners will not be entitled to the payment?

Pensioners want and demand dignity in the form of a proper weekly pension. After all, look at Mr Blair's £2,300 a week pension when he retires.

T Scaife,

Manor Drive,

York.

Updated: 11:34 Tuesday, March 29, 2005