I AM paying 25 per cent of my state pension to the local council. This is known as the council tax; there are of course many other taxes I have to pay.

The audacity of this pseudo-socialist new Labour party, together with its mendacity, finds me writing this letter, in a state of frustration and anger. Anger, because the members of Parliament are looking after themselves ok and frustration because I can't influence their bad judgements nor greed.

We have two or three million civil servants, shuffling paper all day and this government has recruited many more thousands to improve its employment record. They are now being paid, on average, more than the wealth producers in the private sector, and of course it is the private sector that pays for the pensions and salaries of civil servants. And there's more. This government will be asking the private sector workers, to work till they are 67, for a state pension, which they have paid for. So we are expected to pay for our own state pension and contribute, through increasing council taxation for the council worker's pension and to enable them to retire at 60 years of age.

Funny old game, I feel I have been mugged ... and then there is all of the benefits to babies, students to go to school, single mother etc etc. Is this the way to get the votes for three elections Tone?

DOUGLAS J WATHEN, Alcester Road, Rushford, Salford Priors.