Surely the figures are fudged. Unemployment is most certainly when you consider that so many are working part-time and having their extra pay paid by the state. The figures of people actually paid by the state should be published and made clear to the public. There cannot be as yet huge redundancies as in the 80`s and 90`s because of this artificial propping up. There are serious discrepancies in the facts we are given and I for one fear the economic future of this country and despair at the paucity of intelligence and integrity of this government.

liz kemp, peterborough,

i am furious, with all the debt we are taking on in this country the largest national debt in europe plus we are taxed to the limit, i can hardly afford petrol and morgage costs, i hear gordon brown gleefully anouncing we are going to pay to educate 8million children in africa!!! that can only come from us taxpayers. what right does he have to spend our money so wastefully! very very angry, karl ,southport

karl jones, southport, merseyside

I never believed in Labour's economy management competency. During Brown's 10 year Chancellorship it was the Worls economy which was helping him as this country was not locked to Euro zone. Except giving power of setting interest rate to BOE Brown did nothing and he was signled out as Iron Chancellor from every one from BBC to this columnist. People have not forgotten Brown's stealth taxes, and he got away with it saying that he is put ting money into public services and Tories would cut it. But that argument he lost it now as billions poured into the black holes of NHS and education have not yielded tangible benefits. Now Brown who took credit for his economy wizardry now blames the World for the down turn. Voters have become cleverer now., c Cameron has to go on attacking Brown about tax` increases, public service woes, economy downturn, immigration and crime. Nice to see for a change the commentator doubting the invincibility of Brown.

Gerry, LONDON,

Gordon Brown will be proved to have been the most disastrous Chancellor this country has ever had - a total incompetent ! Both public and private debt have soared during his period. Our children and grandchildren will be paying the debts off for many years to come. This happens every time we get a Labour government. Will we never learn ?

Derek Green, Shipley, West Yorkshire, England

Speak for yourself ... I'm waiting for the general election and nothing else .

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

And getting considerably less for our money.

Albert Hall, kettering,

A change of heart by this columnist to give the Tories any credence! Anyway, we all know elections are won by spin, pr, media impression, not hard facts and figures. That is how Labour won and ground the opposition to the floor for so long, pure rhetoric.
As to the FSA: their competence is now clearly disastrous - chickens coming home to roost from Labour's social engineering attack on appointments by merit alone, letting in people who can hardly count to high responsibilities in all manner of state agencies, including the Revenue, police, navy, home office, quangocracies etc? Stalin and Mr Bean combined.

Timon, Oxford, UK

Irregardless of what you have written, we are paying considerably more in tax!

roger Kingston, york,