Chancellor has done nothing to improve economy

Sir, – It’s been somewhat underwhelming listening to the chancellor’s statement and it reinforces my view that these people live on a different planet from the mainstream populace in this country.

To watch backbenchers reacting to the statement by braying like donkeys and clapping like seals is frankly not possible to politely comment on.

After 12 years of Tory rule, the chancellor finally accepts that the UK is in a recession when the rest of us have known this for some considerable time.

He has done nothing to improve things.

He talks of making the UK another Silicon Valley and all these innovative areas such as developing 5G when the country is on its knees.

Whilst telling all government departments to tighten their belts, he announced they are to proceed with HS2 – the multi-billion pound project already wildly over budget and which will produce a disproportionate benefit for just a select few.

Once again it’s not 12 years of Tory misrule nor the £30 billion trashed by his predecessor in as many days that is getting the blame.

Nor is the carnage brought about Brexit. Once again the perceived benefits of Brexit – if they ever materialise – are being pushed back another couple of years.

Under this Tory government the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

One year ago, one in five adults in the UK had savings of £100 or less. That figure is now one in four. The situation is deplorable and utterly indefensible.

Yet a few still have the audacity to try to tell us we would be poorer in an independent Scotland.

How poor do we need to be?