I READ with horror the letter from Mike Spry (SA, Nov 9) in which he calls me a Tory writer; now while I am prepared to be called many things what I absolutely refute is being a supporter of David Cameron et al and by association a Tory. I hope my letters have a much wider brief than narrow party political lines and I feel sure that Coun Rod Bluh and the Tory hierarchy will be amazed that Mike thinks I’m a Tory.

With regard to his claim that I think ‘Government investment of our money in more nurses, doctors, teachers, policemen, new industry, new schools, hospitals, lifesaving operations are all Labour’s failing policies” - I am delighted to confirm I do not think that spending money on essential services is wrong. However, it appears Mike truly believes that spending is a policy in itself, if it were then I agree Labour has been successful in spending many more billions of taxpayer pounds than they have earned through taxation. I believe that there must be measurable outcomes to support the spending of taxpayer money and that the Government has seen very little back in the way of improvement or productivity for the extra spending they have made. Mike talks about more people being employed in public services but he cannot believe that simply having more people equates to having better services. The facts speak against such a belief.

Along with many others I certainly consider the Government to have been wasteful in its spending programme and some of its policies such as IT development have just been absurd, costing multi millions of taxpayer pounds with little if any benefit other than in the fees paid to consultants. Gordon Brown has overseen a spending spree like no other Government before, however, in at last declaring cuts will have to be made - cut costs, cut inefficiencies, cut programmes and cut budgets, the Prime Minister has capitulated in the face of reality and realised that running up enormous debt and borrowing huge amounts of money is not only unwise in a personal context but equally unwise for a nation state.

What can I assure your readers of, is this; I comment in terms of what I see, hear and feel, I write with no particular political viewpoint as a template and I will continue to castigate and call to account politicians from all parties who think they can treat the electorate as fools.

DES MORGAN

Caraway Drive

Swindon