Caution required amidst the cuts

There have been comments on these pages about the coalition, berating the Liberal Democrats.

However, it is to be hoped that they will act as a brake on some of the more savage cutbacks and tax increases that we would be facing if the Conservatives were left to their own devices.

Even so, there is a real danger of going too far and too quickly.

Halting road, rail, house and school building programmes will simply put even more construction workers out of work. Getting rid of too many public servants will lead to rocketing unemployment, adding to government debt through payment of benefits.

As a result, people will have less money to spend in the rest of the economy, with all businesses suffering. This is before there is any evidence that the private sector can bridge the gap.

If the coalition goes too far, here in Arun we face soaring levels of homelessness, with housebuilding (especially social housing) grinding to a halt. There would be no prospect of the Arundel bypass being built. Rail and bus fares would rocket, with off-peak services reduced as transport spending is slashed.

Yes, we all know that cuts are required, but they must not be counter-productive and must be better paced.

Locally, initiatives such as district councils across West Sussex combining services like payroll and benefit administration would help.

However, intelligent cost-cutting takes time and proper planning, in contrast to newspaper headlines proclaiming 40 per cent cuts in budgets.

The fundamentals which caused the recession have not been solved. Capitalism is proving unable to face up to the environmental, social and economic challenges facing us today.

People will use their ingenuity to help themselves, family and friends through difficulties, regardless of what the government does. A growing black economy is evidence of that and who can blame anyone for it.

The pay gap between workers and bosses is ridiculously large. There are predicted to be 70 applicants for every graduate level job this summer.

Government must think through the crucial decisions they are taking or risk making the country ungovernable.

Derrick Chester,

Worthing Road,

Wick

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