Sir – Leaked Treasury documents have suggested the Budget could increase unemployment by up to 1.3 million.

The Tory hope is that the private sector will pick up the slack and reduce unemployment, but this is reliant on global growth.

Although the coalition is claiming as its own the Labour reforms that were due to get about a million people off sickness benefits and save about £1.5 billion from introducing a new medical test and re-assessing current claimants, the difference is there are no policies to create the jobs for these people.

With no benefits and no jobs crime increases, so the coalition is cutting spending on the police force by 25 per cent with 83 per cent of the budget spent on people, the numbers of officers will be reduced. Ken Clark wants to reduce the number of people in prison because they re-offend when released but they do not offend when in prison.

With regional business development agencies being scrapped along with the job guarantee scheme and no other initiatives to stimulate the economy the coalition Government needs to learn very quickly that social reform is reliant on a strong economy not outdated Tory beliefs.

Richard Boorn
Claines,
Worcester