Budget tax cuts would be nothing more than gesture politics

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We need a government that has a strategic plan for the nation’s finances rather than one that uses short-term gestures (PA)

The prospect of tax cuts in the upcoming Budget is nothing more than gesture politics; short-term, shallow electioneering by a government that has no commitment to the long-term interests of the nation.

Without a doubt, those who will benefit from such tax cuts will be those on middle and higher incomes, while those who have been impoverished by 14 years of austerity measures will continue to struggle as the essential services upon which they depend buckle through continuous underinvestment.

All this is designed by a cynical government to garner a few votes from the electorate and make it more difficult for an incoming Labour government to stimulate economic growth. As most economists have been telling us for some time, increased productivity depends upon investment that should be encouraged by a government that has a strategic plan for the nation’s finances, rather than one that uses short-term gestures with no other purpose than to con the credulous.

Graham Powell

Cirencester

Casting the first stone

Maybe before Rishi Sunak lectures the country about extremism, he could deal with the problems in his own party? After all, the likes of Boris Johnson, Lee Anderson, Suella Braverman and Liz Truss have been far from perfect when it comes to their choice of words.

Remember readers:

Johnson compared Muslim women to letterboxes. Anderson made Islamophobic comments. Braverman incited the far right. And Truss refused to condemn Tommy Robinson.

If Sunak wants to stop hatred from spreading, he should start with the rhetoric coming out of his own party in the first place.

Geoffrey Brooking

Havant

Killing off our democratic rights

Sunak’s claims that extremists are targeting protest demonstrations while giving police carte blanche to pre-emptively shut protests down before they have even marched is, by default, killing a democratic right held by all.

Indeed, it only heightens the old adage that politicians love demonstrations so long as it’s not their own public protesting against their own policies.

David Murphy

Dublin

Actions speak louder than words

Like many, I was dismayed by George Galloway’s success in Rochdale. Given his previous political exploits, the electorate deserved better. But many used their vote to express their abhorrence at events in Gaza – so ruthlessly exploited by Galloway.

The heinous events of 7 October, 2023, were rightly condemned, but many politicians and commentators failed to ask why it happened for fear of exposing past historic and continuing injustices that have led to loss of life and property, inflicted on the Palestinian people.

Israel has a right to coexist with Palestine but not an absolute right to dominate. Their current military campaign is evidence of wanting to destroy not only Hamas but the will of the Palestinian people.

If we are to defeat extremism, let us condemn not just extremist rhetoric but also extremist action.

David Hill

Waterlooville

Not amused

The morons who defaced the Queen Victoria sculpture at Kelvingrove by spraying infantile swear words and other substances on it show how cretinous their protest really is.

They claim to be protesting about food costs but actually waste food during their protest.

It is high time mandatory custodial sentences for vandalising works of art were introduced in this country! I would suggest six months minimum...

Ian McNicholas

Ebbw Vale