Key question
Sir: Debt, debt everywhere. Britain really is in trouble if — as Fraser Nelson suggests (Politics, 15 March) — the Conservative opposition is shying away from the ‘obvious strategy’ of proposing to freeze public spending or cut taxes.
There is a sensible ‘bottom up’ approach for our leaders to take, namely to start budgeting from a base of zero expenditure. Then prioritise and add the spending that really must be made (schools, hospitals, defence and the like), while checking value for money at every step. The key question is, ‘What is essential for Britain?’ rather than, ‘What is in the current budget?’ or ‘What did Gordon promise on the Andrew Marr Show?’ At the end of the cull there will remain the optional extras, dodgy PFI schemes and political pork, whose costs can then be phased, reduced or — hopefully — cut completely. Cue a more balanced budget.
The Blair, Brown, Darling refrain that all public expenditure is inherently good has prevailed for too long and is now ruining this country. The Conservatives need to adopt a more rigorous approach to justify their spending plans. So do the Lib Dems. So does Labour, but fat chance of that happening.
Tim Holman
St Albans, Hertfordshire
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