In last week’s paper you published two letters attacking James Gray’s comments on the budget changes in VAT as “an insult” and as being “out of touch.” As someone with no party agenda I find these comments somewhat strange. When I tried to assess the effect on the budget on our household, perhaps not destitute but far from rich, I came to the conclusion that the VAT changes would have minimal effect. This was because our main area of monthly expenditure is on food (VAT exempt). The budget would have no effect on our buying clothes for our children, my wife’s purchases in charity shops or my own buying on eBay. Our biggest monthly charge (council tax) would be unaffected, as would our past biggest purchase, a secondhand car.

I came to the conclusion that the real losers would be high spenders, presumably all those who benefited from the last 13 years of Labour rule.

Peter Bailey, Christian Malford.