ON occasion I have written castigating the Labour Government in general and Gordon Brown in particular. It is time to write a few sentences giving praise where it is due.

Gordon was absolutely correct to re-capitalise the banks. Much as we might like to hate bankers, if the banking system were to collapse it would take the whole economy with it. A fiscal stimulus was also the correct action although the timing was probably wrong and the means, a VAT cut, certainly was. Nonetheless, most other countries have followed his lead.

There is a teeny weeny problem however. While other countries can afford to do these things, we cannot. We cannot because Gordon was borrowing hand over fist while the boom lasted and splurging it all on expanding the public sector. As a result we entered this recession as the fourth most indebted large nation behind Hungary, Poland and Egypt. Like King Canute, Gordon faced the tide of recession and insisted we were well placed to get no more than our feet wet. Not only have we been engulfed, we are going to be dead lucky not to drown. Our children and grandchildren will be paying back Gordon's debts for the next 30 years.

We are in for a protracted period of 1950's style austerity. The future isn't bright and it's not orange. It's grim, bloody grim. And a lot of it is Gordon's fault.

GRAHAM PRICE Turnham Green Freshbrook Swindon