Cut number of MPs and costs

DURING the week when MPs received a record amount of £86.8 million in expenses and allowances – and their salaries – pensioners were at Westminster protesting about the inadequacy of their pensions. While it appears that sackfuls of money are available to

DURING the week when MPs received a record amount of £86.8 million in expenses and allowances - and their salaries - pensioners were at Westminster protesting about the inadequacy of their pensions.

While it appears that sackfuls of money are available to support private manufacturing and security companies in Iraq; privatised rail companies are subsidised; taxpayers' money is used to supplement low-income families and teenage mothers are given financial support, pensioners who have paid income tax and National Insurance during their working lives have been handed the short straw. British pensioners have the lowest State retirement pensions in Europe. Much of our legislation today comes from Brussels, Strasbourg and Cabinet diktat, where public opinion is consistently ignored.

It does not seem unreasonable, therefore, to suggest that the number of MPs should be drastically reduced when a considerable amount of money would be saved.

Mrs G TURNER

Green Drift

Royston