Letter: Party of the rich will not bring an end to austerity

But what we do know is that austerity has not ended.

Theresa May says it has ended and Philip Hammond says he envisions ending it, whatever that means.

They aren’t the same thing.

What was never an economic strategy but a political and ideolgical one to slash public services and privatise, making the rich richer and the rest of us poorer, has not finished.

Yes, some trees will be planted, roads built and potholes filled. There will even be some reheated headlines about the NHS.

In reality, benefits will go on being cut and the police and prisons and schools and fire services will languish until who knows when, especiallyif we crash out of the EU without a deal.

Here in Northants we have, as a result of austerity but also incompetence and arrogance, the worst council in the country, through no fault of council workers. It’s no good local Tory MPs hanging their heads in shame for their inaction over years. It’s time for them to make a stand and lobby for an end to austerity.

Bail out the council and fund the new authorities so they are not saddled with debt.

Remember, “stabilisation” in Tory county council language is just another word for prolonged austerity.

Tony Banks, by email