Readers' letters

With reference to the Budget announcement of grants to schools. Now we have it!

The Government do not trust local administrations, whether by cabal or committee, to manage their money efficiently.

Gordon Brown was adamant that the generous grants which he has given to both secondary and primary schools will bypass local education authorities and go straight to the headteachers.

This policy being underlined emphatically by our Education Secretary, David Blunkett, when he said that this would "guarantee" that local administrators could neither hold it back, or mis-spend it. It seems your correspondents have underestimated the extent of the financial mess our council has got us into - the problem must be nation-wide.

Our council must be only one of the many which mismanage our finances! If the Government can't trust them why should we?

Kenneth W Scaife,

Ferguson Way,

New Lane,

York.

...Gordon Brown tried to portray the budget as one for hardworking families, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The average working family is paying £600 a year more in tax under the Labour Government. The budget has done nothing to reverse the huge stealth tax increases that have already been imposed. Overall the tax burden has risen by the equivalent of 8p on the basic rate of tax under Labour. They have given with one hand, and taken with the other.

The tax burden is set to rise from 35.3 per cent when the government came to power to 37.8 per cent in 2001/02.

According to recent analysis, the average family loses more than £400 per year on pension tax: £175 on petrol tax; £139 on tobacco; £98.50 as a result of the abolition of the married couples' allowance; and £100 in council tax rises.

The abolition of mortgage tax relief (MIRAS) from April will hit harder still.

The truth underneath the spin is that Labour is hitting millions of hardworking families, rather than helping them.

David Ashton,

Leader of North Yorkshire County Council,

County Hall,

Northallerton.

...Mr Perry (Letters March 25) is of the opinion that this Budget is a good deal for motorists.

I would agree with him if the extra money taken from the motorist was put into road improvements, but this will not be so.

Last year the treasury collected £35 billion from the motorist but only £4 billion was spent on roads.

Also, Mr Perry, while wages may have increased ahead of inflation pensions have not, so this budget hits all pensioners who still wish to drive.

Mike Usherwood,

Mendip Close,

Huntington,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.