SIR – Kris Hopkins MP applauds the freezing of state benefits to save £3 billion (T&A, October 3). Before taking money from the deserving he should look at other expenditure. The two aircraft carriers and Trident will cost £130 billion, made up of initial cost of £54 billion and running costs of £2.5 billion pa over 30 years, about half going to American suppliers.
The 600 Scout armoured vehicles will cost £3.5 billion and supposedly underpin 1,300 UK jobs, but it is now likely that the American supplier will require them to be assembled in Seville.
We will be adding £57.5 billion to the national debt and take from revenue the running costs of £2.5 billion pa.
Add to this the nett contribution of £15 billion pa to the EU, the £12 billion in questionable foreign aid and interest charges of £52 billion on the national debt which between 2010 and 2014 increased from £900 billion to £1,400 billion.
If we got our priorities right, we could save at least £30 billion pa and start reducing the national debt We could secure the NHS and invest in our production and service industries which must be viable as otherwise foreigners would not be buying them.
John Pashley, Westcliffe Avenue, Baildon
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