(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
WITH another budget on the way, the high streets and businesses must be wondering how much more pain can the Government inflict upon them.
They have endured regular minimum wage rises, which are now making it very difficult to employ staff – the opposite of what the Government intended them to do.
Gas and electric bills are the highest in Europe, our petrol duty is one of the highest in Europe, business rates have doubled and in some cases trebled, duty on alcohol has risen out of all proportion and the rise in National Insurance contributions is crippling profit margins.
No wonder towns and cities up and down the country have empty shops, public houses, restaurants and factories.
It is about time the Government looked in-house to raise much needed funds.
There are more than 400 quangos.
Keir Starmer created 20 new ones in the short time he was in charge.
Where were all these jobs advertised?
Where do they work from?
What do they all do?
One thing is certain they cost more than £340bn per year to run.
The benefit system we have at present is out of control.
Millions are paid out in error, which are never recovered, with further hundreds of millions paid out to fraudsters.
You only have to cough, sneeze or limp and you can sign up for some form of benefit.
Nobody seems to have the courage to bite the bullet and sort it out.
Where in the world can you give somebody a present and it costs you over £300 a day for the rest of the recipient’s life?
The House of Lords, of course.
Being ennobled is an honour and should not cost the Government, but it does to the tune of millions of pounds a year.
All the members should be able connect their laptops or phones to the House of Lords and follow proceedings that way, saving the Government millions.
There can be millions more saved in Parliament itself.
Why do politicians need advisors, special advisors, think tanks, consultants etc?
There are committees, sub committees and select committees which MPs get paid thousands of pounds extra for sitting on, but they are working in the place where they are paid to work, it does not make sense.
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With all these quangos, advisers, think tanks, consultants etc it makes you wonder what the nine-to-five civil servant has left to do.
If the Prime Minister and his Cabinet really want to raise much needed revenue they will have to be serious about doing it.
Derek Lawton, West Rounton, Northallerton.