CONSERVATIVES used to talk about a “long-term financial plan” and claim to be the party that would look after our money.

Now we have the frightening prospect of two would-be Prime Ministers trying to out-bid each other in promises to reduce taxes (especially for the better off), shower money at any public services that happen to cross their minds (education, police, defence, health, any others?) while shrugging off the potential financial disaster of a no-deal Brexit crash-out.

One Tory Minister has described Boris Johnson’s promises as “economically illiterate” and “ridiculous” and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has warned that none of the promises could be kept if Britain crashed out of the EU without a deal.

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Meanwhile, local Conservatives are forced to own up to spending £6 million of local council taxpayers’ money (twice the sum budgeted) on making council staff redundant, even though some of them did essential jobs (e.g. planning applications, grass cutting,) so new staff had to be appointed.

It seems the “Magic Money Tree” is alive and well, and growing in the deluded imaginations of the Conservative party.

ALAN PAUL
Taunton