Budget priorities

ANENT Bill Jamieson's ten touch points for the imminent budget (your report, 12 March), the UK's financial issues clearly need many more than ten action points. Surely the reform of public sector pensions, and senior salaries and bonuses in the civil service, local authorities and quangos must be in the top ten.

It is also disappointing that even he is coming round to a further Labour administration, leading to a probable 18 years' tenure at 11 and 10 Downing Street for Gordon Brown. No party, and no individual, should be in power for such a continuous period.

JOHN BIRKETT

Horseleys Park

St Andrews