I’m taking news of economic recovery with a pinch of salt

work being carried out in front of Canary Wharf in east London. Photo: Lewis Whyld/PA Wire

Because I, along with other members of the public, can’t see any signs of this happening around here. However, he may be following the propaganda put out by his Conservative colleagues, who seem to be basing their assumptions on a tiny area of South-East England.

He is going on about the autumn statement, showing us we are on the road to recovery and that it is built to last. Well let’s have a look at one or two of the factual analysis revealed after the event. While there is a small improvement in our economic situation, there has hardly been any reduction in our balance of payments deficit and we are still borrowing a massive amount, which adds up to over a trillion pounds. Yes, over a trillion pounds, so it would seem any recovery is based on borrowing, which I don’t think is sustainable. The public is now spending its savings and the Bank of England has had to step in to stop one of the Government’s treasured policies on housing.

Then he states the Government has cut energy bills by £50. I don’t think that is correct. Yes, there has been up to £50 knocked off the amount charged by the fuel companies, but what has been done is to simply transfer that cash away from the companies and put it onto general taxation. All that means is you and me, Joe public, are still paying for it, but it makes the Government look good, or that’s what they are hoping for.

As for unemployment falling, well, 1,500 job losses were announced recently at a car manufacturer, and probably hundreds of thousands part-time summer jobs have just been lost because they have been laid off at holiday resorts and such like, due to the summer season ending. Where have all those people found work? Because I don’t see them ever appearing on the jobless numbers.

So I’m sorry but I take these claims with a massive pinch of salt and I’m willing to bet that by the end of next year, the Government will be declaring a resounding success. Yep, and pigs might fly, but remember this: there will be a General Election in the early months of the New Year.

Mr K. Royle

Burnley