Austerity ending is an empty promise
■ The Government’s representatives rarely miss an opportunity to claim how many people are now in work as if this is an impressive feat.
We are given to understand, however, that over a quarter of people who are in work are so underpaid and exploited that they are entitled to claim benefits.
Let’s face it, you could claim everyone had a job under a system of slavery. The Conservatives, who appear to believe their own propaganda, seem genuinely amazed that they are not more popular as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Clive Osman, Nuneaton, Warks
■ All this Tory talk of austerity being over and record numbers being in work is some kind of sick joke.
Go to any town or city in Britain and people will tell you otherwise.
Yes, they might have a job, but the pay is so low people have to claim benefits, or they are having to work two or three jobs just to get by. Julie Foster, Hull
■ Philip Hammond and Theresa May say austerity is coming to an end, but the meagre funds in the Budget for the crippled NHS and schools, as well as other underfunded public services, prove otherwise. This Tory shower only look after the rich and we desperately need a general election to usher in a change of direction. Dave Mellor, Warrington
■ If Theresa May wants to talk about life under the Tories, let’s do it properly. Zero-hour contracts are up, hospital waiting lists are up, cancelled operations up, prison officers being attacked up, the number of unusable classrooms up, teachers leaving up, police officers leaving up, number of children living in poverty up and homelessness up. Mary Pester, Saltash, Cornwall
■ I see Theresa May is looking after her friends again. Bookies have preference over punters – children’s education is still underfunded, schools are decaying and running out of both equipment and quality teachers. Tumble dryers and cars are catching fire. Don’t worry about consumer protection – more people will have to have insurance, thus paying more tax to protect themselves, allowing more tax relief for the better off.
Eddie Fidler, Oxford
■ Ah, so that was what all the “end of austerity” lie was all about – when May fails on Brexit, the Tories are going to blame the EU. They never ever miss an opportunity to make someone else the scapegoat.
Austerity is a Tory political choice, and ending it is the same. We are not even close to stopping the Tory money-slashing monster.
Huge cuts are still earmarked – we just now know who they are setting up to take the propaganda fall.
Perhaps they feel an election is imminent and as usual have got the “not our fault” excuses ready.
Dave Tilling, Greater Manchester
■ “Austerity is over”, trills Maggie Mayhem. No it isn’t. There’s another £16bn of welfare cuts in the pipeline due to take effect from April.
Thus the poor continue to get even poorer and the rich even richer. Same old, same old.
The Tories have got away with it for eight long years, surely they can’t keep it up for ever? Are voters really that stupid?
Fiona Hammond, Cumbria