Was Jeremy Hunt’s Budget a hit or a miss?

THE Mail’s headline was ‘Hunt puts UK back on the path to low taxes’. Tell that to people on pensions. I worked for 55 years and paid all taxes due. Now I’ve retired, I still find myself paying income tax on my pension. Thanks, Mr Hunt.

ALAN HARMER, letchworth, herts. JEREMY HUNT’s decision to focus his tax concession on National Insurance is political suicide for the Tory party. National Insurance was reduced last autumn and to do the same again, rather than cut the basic rate of income tax or unfreeze the basic rate tax band, did nothing (again) for pensioners. as if that were not enough, it seems the Tories have quietly ignored the campaign, championed by the Mail on sunday, regarding taxable savings interest limits.

This double whammy will resonate deeply with some of their most loyal supporters — the responsible elderly.

GARY GRISTWOOD, Wellesbourne, Warks. THE Conservatives: the party that regards the elderly as irrelevant.

HELEN PENNEY, longborough, Gloucs.

AN ILLOGICAL and very damaging decision by the Chancellor to maintain VAT on foreign tourist purchases. This significantly benefits all European countries that allow VAT discount for overseas shoppers.

PAUL GARROD, portsmouth, hants.

THE Budget was described as being ‘do or die’ for the Tories. With another 2p cut to National Insurance instead of income tax, it will be a big vote-loser, so I’d rate it ‘die’. Bye bye, Tories.

PETER EADES, telford, Salop.

PEOPLE come here from other countries, spend money and help boost our economy, only to be taxed as our way of saying thank you.

JOHN HODGE, london W13.

DID I really hear the Leader of the Opposition say a party that tanks the economy cannot be trusted with power? Whoops. Somebody needs a history lesson.

KEITH BIRD, nazeing, essex.

LET’s hope the IT upgrade for the NHs that the Chancellor announced doesn’t involve Fujitsu.

ALAN WRIGHT, St Bees, cumbria.