SO AT last, we have a government – though not actually the one voters thought they would get.

It will be very interesting to see how this political alliance will work and exactly what it throws at the innocent public – who had no direct influence on the financial crisis for which we are now all paying.

I think it is fair to say that we will, as individuals, see our tax bills rise. Income tax will no doubt be increased as will our National Insurance contributions, while the NI contributions of employers will no doubt fall.

VAT will probably rise to 20 or 22 per cent as a claw-back for the limited reduction, which was given as a stimulus to the economy.

We can now look forward with relish to cut backs in the NHS and the increased waiting times which will ensue, coupled with a pay freeze which will provoke well-qualified staff to leave so as to benefit the private sector health care companies.

Benefit payments to many will be reduced, and, in so doing, the needy will become even poorer and many may be drawn into petty crime such as shoplifting as a means to obtain necessary household items, and in so doing add further to the nation’s and their own problems once caught.

We can add to this, further cut backs in policing and education, less teachers, larger class sizes and no police to answer our concerns.

Our much-damaged roads will not receive the repairs they need and many projects to eliminate congestion will be shelved.

All this and much more woe will be bestowed upon us while the banks we bailed out will continue to make good profits and pay huge bonuses to the traders who took the unnecessary risks which put us here in the first place.

Surely it is the duty of the banks to be repaying these huge sums and not the taxpayer.

Isn’t it time for a change? I fear that the change the politicians have been talking about is not the change the public have been asking for.

Add to this the cut backs at town halls and local councils, plus the inevitable pay freeze in the public sector, and soon people will remember what it was all like under Thatcher.

Very soon we will see again the old story of ‘boom and bust’, the rich getting richer and the poor becoming poorer.

And while all this is happening Mr Clegg will be losing voters by the day as his party faithful become more disenchanted with his alliance.

Do we have change? No, just the same old thing – with Joe Public being done over once more.

Steve Plant

Thorney Leys

Witney