The key to power

Monday, 16 April 2012

I have just read your editorial comment on the last Budget and I entirely agree with your sentiments.

So I thought I might try to discourse on those decisions in government which would (if I were a teenager) cumulatively discourage me from trying to improve my lot, culminating as they have with the attack on the ‘grey’ vote.

If I decide to take a standard three-year university course I would emerge, hopefully with a qualification, owing the government about £30,000.

At university I met a very nice young lady and we would like to get married. However first I/we have to find a job. If we are lucky enough to do this we then have to save for our wedding (and a mortgage deposit) as well as pay back our loans.

So I/we manage to find employment and discuss pensions schemes with our employer who no longer runs one but knows a man who does. It emerges that we would have to save about half our pay to have a chance of any sort of worthwhile pension when we retire which just maybe .......er........75!

At this stage we notice that those who have retired recently seem to be the target of a coalition ‘freeze’ on retirement benefits.

At the same time tax rates for the very wealthy have been reduced.

Now this starts a very disturbing train of thought – although we are in love and really do want to stay together perhaps we should, however briefly, each consider marrying someone with money since this ‘upper’ class seems to be favoured when it comes to taxes – or someone with a job in the city (bonuses) or an MP (expenses).

Maybe my girlfriend should consider becoming an unmarried mother (priority on Council waiting lists) or trying to be accepted as an immigrant (family from the West Indies) and signing on for benefits.

All in all our depressing conclusions are that it is not really worth trying to improve our education and job prospects/salaries or savings because ‘the system’ has removed all incentives to do so.

I am 68 years old, have worked all my life and paid NI contributions for 44 years. I feel totally ignored by this Coalition  - except when they want something. All my life, until the last election I voted Conservative. Mr. Cameron has ensured that I shall never do so again. I am ashamed to be British.

Peter Smith, by email.