I'm not in the habit of lying Richard. The 70s under Wilson and Callaghan were far leaner times for me and my family than the Thatcher years.

Nothing will satisfy you and John other than complete capitulation and a statement that All tories are intrinsically evil and Labour is the one true religion.

Step forward a few years and examine how the current government looks after the poorest people in this country, most of whom are pensioners who had half their pensions stolen. By Thatcher?......NO! BY GORDON BROWN, who wiped five billion pounds off the value of all our pensions, including yours, I might add.

What has he done to help pensioners negotiate the credit crunch, and deal with rising costs across the board?

1. After fuel cost increased by 40% (when oil went up to over 100 dollars a barrel), and only dropped 10% (when oil went down to 40 dollars), he gave us an extra winter fuel payment of £50 per household, per year.

My wife and I paid separate National insurance and tax all our working lives (45 years), but we receive this benefit between us.

2. He gave us a one off payment of £60 in the first three months of 2009. Bully for him! We'll starve three months later than we would have otherwise.

3. He increased our tax free personal allowance by £2000, which, as far as the poorest are concerned, he needn't have bothered doing.

We didn't have enough pension income to pay any tax on the previous lower allowance, so this empty vote winning gesture is of zero value for those most in need of assistance, and those who DO benefit are probably outside the poverty zone.

4. He bashed the motorist again, and I can't afford to use my car for leisure. The fourteen mile round trip by bus to Maidstone involves 40 minutes on the bus, each way.

A trip to Ashford (fifty miles round trip) takes two hours each way, and Canterbury three hours each way via Faversham (miles off route).

I can't go out in the evening using public transport. There isn't any after 8 o'clock.



Tell me again how the Tories are my enemy, and I should vote Labour. I'm very much in need of a good laugh just now.

Don T