ON WESTMINSTER Jeremy "Scrooge"

IF WE are to believe the new UK Chancellor, Jeremy "Scrooge" Hunt, presents for Christmas are out. "We're all going to be paying a bit more tax," says Mr Killjoy, with "council tax rises are more likely than not" being added for good measure.

If that isn't enough to turn off the Christmas tree lights, he also reminded us that cuts in government expenditure are also on the way.

Sorry, but whatever chance such measures have of dampening inflation, seem to me to be outweighed by the chance that they will only fuel a deepening UK recession in the middle of a world one.

Might he be in danger of overcooking the Christmas turkey somewhat? I fear so. If the British people wanted more tax they might as well have voted for the other Jeremy (read Corbyn), last time around.

Jeremy Scrooge also tells us that NHS spending is safe". The NHS is a wonderful concept and nobody, including me, wants to see it disappear, but it has become an inefficient, bureaucratic, untouchable sacred cow of a mess, ripe and overdue for reform, into which government after government has poured ever increasing amounts of taxpayers’ money into a seemingly bottomless pit, to no great effect.

Of course, the Chancellor needs to balance the national books, but why is a failing NHS exempt from attempts to do so? Everlengthening waiting lists, bed blocking, lengthening ambulance waiting times, far too many bureaucrats and not enough nurses, GPs almost impossible to see, etc, etc. Cost effectiveness is none existent. With war in Europe, the only department that should be exempt from savings is defence. Mind you, that would be a Tory approach. By the time you read this, we shall know.