I am glad we agree on employers' NI contributions. Who came up with this idiotic idea, which has slowed growth and increased employment? Rachel Reeves or the Treasury?What is the problem to which PR is the solution? I asked this question before but received no answer. And what is the point of an elected second chamber? Surely an advisory chamber, whose members are not subject to political pressure , is the better alternative.I don't think the EU is the answer to Britain's economic problems. The two most important countries in the EU, France and Germany, are both in deficit.While there may be an argument to impose IHT on those who speculate on agricultural land, there is no good reason to tax family farms in this this way, many of the farmers being asset rich but income poor. In many cases their children would be forced to sell up, perhaps to speculators. How does this benefit the country?Imposing VAT on independent schools is unfair in principle since parents are taxed twice: through income tax they help pay for state schools which their children don't use, thereby freeing up places, and then they have to pay VAT for the schools which their children do attend. It is also unfair on parents, some of them just managing, whose children have special needs which are not catered for in the state system. I don't agree that the economic aspect of the tax is immaterial. British education has a high international reputation. Why depress a burgeoning sector?On civil servants, I have no ideas where they all work but their number has grown by over 60 000 since 2019. The present government is apparently committed to reducing the number but there has been an increase this year.On the ECHR, even Keir Starmer agrees that Articles 3 and 8 have been exploited by individuals wishing to avoid deportation. I heard him say this on the radio only the other day. The only question is whether these articles can be disapplied, as Labour wish, or whether Britain should withdraw, as Reform and now the Conservatives wish.I am glad that you agree that the benefits bill should be reduced but unfortunately it is not true that 'hardly anyone' objects to this. I am afraid that large numbers of Labour MPs object, which is why the government was forced to withdraw its modest plan to reduce the bill by £5 billion.On banning the teaching of transgender ideology, yes, really. This rubbish has ruined the lives of many young people who have undergone surgery and then regretted it. It's all too easy to dismiss concerns about this issue as fomented by the 'right wing press'. That's what left of centre people said about the grooming scandal, if you recall. On North Sea oil, I suspect that Ed Miliband is going to allow drilling licenses. This country is going to need fossil fuel for some time to come. What is the point of importing oil to fill this need, with all the attendant damage caused by unregulated extraction abroad and ecologically harmful transportation, when we have our own oil in the North Sea? It's all about ideological purity as opposed to common sense.On fishing rights, Keir Starmer this year agreed a 12 year deal to allow EU boats to fish in British waters, described by Scotland's Deputy First Minister as a 'great betrayal. HS2 could cost £80 billion and will not be ready till 2040, by which time the technology will be obsolete. Good money after bad?As I said, I don't have a solution for the country's economic woes. But I think in general that we need to cut government spending, to avoid impending bankruptcy, and cut taxes, to stimulate economic growth.
Steven Rose ● 9d