‘Challenging times’

In her opinion column (Border Telegraph, March 13) MSP Rachael Hamilton informs us that despite “challenging times” the recent government budget helped our economy grow stronger.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak managed to halve inflation from 10.7 per cent to just 4.6 per cent – fair enough.

However, in spite of this reduction, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, in 2021/22 more than one in five people in the UK were living in poverty – two in 10 working age adults, three in 10 children, and one in six pensioners.

Even though inflation has now gone down, it is not much consolation as the damage caused to household and their finances prior to lower inflation has already been done, and is now still difficult to overcome.

Also, although the cut in National Insurance, which hits working people the hardest, is welcome and seems generous at £680 per year, it works out at about £13 a week which does not seem too much of a ‘bonus’.

Motorists are £250 a year better off by extending the 5p cut to fuel duty, but nonmotorists, i.e. people who travel by public transport, will they be better off ?

We never hear about a reduction in bus fares or train fares – they are always going up, aren’t they?

At the time of writing (mid March) Rishi Sunak has ruled out an election on May 2, despite TV adverts still advertising the date.

As the Tories are alleged to be 20 points behind in opinion polls, maybe not a good idea to have a May General Election the same day (May 2) as voters in England go to the polls for council, police commissioner and mayoral elections.

I read that one in five Tory MPs would like a May General Election as they fear their electoral chances will get worse.

Lots of Tory MPs, including ex-Prime Minister Theresa, have decided to stand down at the next election. Challenging times indeed. Sheila E. Richards

Melrose