ARE you Labour, Liberal or Conservative? What would you like from your party? A better health service? A good education system? Better law and order? Maybe better roads?

Well, whatever you want be prepared to pay much more in taxes, whoever wins the election.

The politicians keep telling us the economy is in good shape. So it should be. Windfall taxes from utilities: billions. Telecommunication auctions: billions.

And the jewel in the crown: the doubling of house prices in the past few years.

About one third of all mortgages have been re-mortgaged, freeing people to spend their new-found wealth on home improvements, holidays, cars, caravans and so forth. The Chancellor's income from house inflation has been hundreds of billions of pounds over the past few years.

Where's the next couple of hundred billion coming from Mr Chancellor, whoever you may be?

D Silversides,

Broad Lane,

Cawood, Selby.

Updated: 10:37 Tuesday, April 19, 2005