DEJA VU! Exactly 200 years ago Wellington’s successful campaign against the French cost this country 200 per cent of GDP. That means for every £2 it was costing to run the war, the government by taxation or duty was only collecting £1. It was a time of no real Income Tax. But, it prompted the introduction of Income Tax, it took more than 50 years to correct, putting severe restraints on our population throughout the Victorian era, a time of poverty, when children were sold into apprenticeships for £5 (my great uncle was sold like this in 1910 aged 10 as an apprentice labourer).

Currently, we are at 60 per cent of GDP, forecast to rise to 80 per cent within two years. Will this Government be re-introducing apprenticeships for child chimney sweeps to address the problem? Can we expect to see horse drawn carriages making a welcome return to avoid punitive fuel taxation?

Enough of this I say! Leave Afghanistan alone. Let’s invade another richer country - like France! Let’s all go there instead. It is warmer and sunnier and bigger. In fact why not stop wars altogether! For more than 1,500 years we have spent billions and billions on war with France. Let’s just swap. The French can come here and we can go there. Problem solved... as long as they take all that smelly cheese with them!

GREG DUNNINGHAM

Marlborough Road

Old Town

Swindon