ADVICE to future prime ministers:

Rule 1. Just remember that the rich are your very best friends, and you must help them to avoid (as much as possible) the taxation you impose via corporation and income tax. They do it quite well at the moment, but you must devise rules to make it easier for them still to do.

Most of the government's money comes from Joe Bloggs and he will be no problem. You can treat them with contempt as you do now.

Rule 2. Encourage PFIs. You will help members to get rich on the back of Joe Bloggs and his ilk – for instance Chepstow hospital was built via PFI's. They borrowed £1 million to build it and are paying back £3 million. That's the way!

Rule 3. Encourage Hospitals' Foundation Trusts to withhold information on their failures. Newpapers report that of 138 trusts 29 did not send any returns. They have done a good job this year, but could do better by not reporting failures.

Rule 4. Secretly devise a way to restore the expenses of your MPs.

Rule 5. Do not in any way stop immigration. This is a double benefit; you get more workers and there is a tendency for the natives to work for less. You will still get most of your revenue from them. 

Sincerely, this is a country where, as above, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

– G W Sankey, Bulwark, Chepstow.