Tory surrender

What is the matter with Annabel Goldie and the Tory Party? Why did she find it necessary to hand a political surrender to her opponents by declaring that they will not cut income taxes?

If one thing might have ignited reawakened support for her party, it would have been a declaration that they would re-occupy their customary territory, that of tax-cutters.

It is not as though the money is not there. We are told the Scottish Executive is sitting on a 160 million cash hoard in what is quaintly named the public sector reform fund, together with a proposed rise to 147 million in the contingency fund - 300 million of our money. Apparently, the Executive does not know what to do with it.

The Tories should know. Yet Annabel Goldie says the Scottish Executive would not see the benefit of a tax cut. She has clearly forgotten the Tory principle that a cut in tax is likely to generate more economic activity, and thus higher tax revenues.

Whether or not that happened is not the central point. The point is that taxpayers would have seen the benefit. The Tories could have declared that they will be returning this cash to its rightful owners: the taxpayers.

ANTHONY TUCKER

Blebo Craigs

Fife