THE current economic climate throws up some very disturbing stories of how it is being managed by the people we put in power to look after our interests.

The council that wishes to charge children to play in a park. Yes, this park has some really good amenities and attracts people less fortunate to use its facilities and give their children a chance to play outside. This amenity was installed and paid for by the tax payers.

We then have MPs who want to hire out the House of Commons for weddings, the revenue then being used to subsidise their catering. The Commons and MP subsides for meals is paid for by the tax payer.

Severely handicapped people are having their benefits cut in real terms and are told that in future they will manage their benefits themselves.

The council chief executive officer who has an £8,000 a year pay rise on top of a salary of £189,000. He argues that he employs 15,000 people and has a budget of over a billion pounds to manage and compared with CEOs in the private sectors he is underpaid. But unlike the private sector which has to sell goods and services to stay in business this man's budget is all paid for by tax payers.

We also have a call from MPs to sell off the more expensive wines held in the Commons cellars to ensure they have enough money to keep a good cellar of somewhat cheaper wines, all paid for by the tax payer.

Typical short-termism. The expensive wine will eventually all be sold off!

Then we are told that we are all in this crisis together. It appears the majority are, but I would say not all.

The crisis we are in is very simple and well understood. We do not produce and export goods to other countries to create wealth. It is a well known fact but our leaders, instead of concentrating on what really needs to be done to get our economy right, are still looking to ensure they are well placed to continue untouched by this whole economic crisis.

We need leadership that demonstrates its willingness to take cuts in real terms the same as the ordinary man in the street. A leadership that comes up with innovative ideas, not charging for kids to play, but how we can get back to full employment in jobs that really produce wealth.

We may then say we are all in this together.

– Bob Harris, ex Berry Hill.