Last government to blame for the mess

The blame lies squarely with the previous Labour government for intervening in the money supply, by means of a central bank, and making credit more easily available than would ever have been in a free market. This is the classic way in which state intervention creates boom and bust.

Labour is also to blame for greedily raising taxes for more than a decade, strangling the economy with regulation and recklessly spending more money than they dared raise by taxation before compounding all of this by rewarding failure in the form of government subsidies to failed banks.

BRUCE CRICHTON

Victoria Road

Falkirk

In his letter Arno Van Der Zwet, writing from the University of Strathclyde, states that the scale of British borrowing is "about 155 billion".

If only that was the case. That figure is of course only one year's overspend.

IAN LEWIS

Mayfield Terrace

Edinburgh

If this present administration is serious about reducing Britain's deficit then the answer is simple. Take a leaf out of Margaret Thatcher's book, grab a handbag and reduce or stop payments to that great money pit in Brussels.

CHARKES JH BROWN

Greenend Road

Killearn

First Minister Alex Salmond is always keen to boast of how Scotland sets an example to the rest of the world.

Is he prepared to start by eliminating subsidised meals and other expenses for MSPs and staff at the parliament's canteen?

It is not a large sum but it would set an example. Why should highly paid workers be subsidised by minimum wage workers and pensioners?

JOHN G MUIR

Macdowall Road

Edinburgh