Stark choice for voter

With the Conservative Party conference in full swing, the media is making much of the Tories’ poor showing in the polls, with endless comment on the possible reasons.

Despite billions of pounds of hard-earned tax being squandered on public services, there has been little if any improvement. Taxes rise, but not services. The public sector swells by the day, with a public sector pension commitment to be paid out of future taxes. Manufacturing is still in the doldrums.

Government spending and borrowing are way too high. Bureaucracy and regulation are strangling small businesses. National saving is half that of nine years ago.

We are in a war in Iraq where we cannot even properly equip our soldiers and the government is cutting the Scottish infantry regiments.

Yet, despite the Tory message of supporting less regulation, lower taxes, reduced bureaucracy, no European Constitution, no euro, of allowing people to decide how they spend their own money and live their own lives, Tory fortunes do not improve.

One can only draw the simple conclusion that voters are actually content to pay more tax for less service, to integrate into Europe, to support burgeoning bureaucracy, to pay for someone else’s index-linked, inflation-proof pension. Despite what the media says, there is a choice and it is a stark one.

ALASTAIR McCULLOCH

Braeport, Dunblane

Perthshire