MADAM – I am still haunted by George Osborne’s statement in the autumn that ‘the sky hasn’t fallen in’ with the budget cuts he had already made to public services, so he intends to press on with even more of the same.

Well perhaps not the ‘sky’ but certainly the ‘ground’ is falling in, as potholes on our roads become increasingly dangerous.

However Mr Osborne, along with his fellow millionaires in the Cabinet, probably doesn’t feel the bumps in his chaffeur-driven limousine, nor notice the ever-increasing queues at food banks or talk to many of the 1.4 million people on zero hours contracts.

In Gloucestershire his cuts will take £25 million year on year from our county council budget, which of course funds much more than roads.

Our libraries and youth and children’s services are already at rock bottom and the care budget for disabled and elderly people in the community has shrunk by an estimated five per cent.

We are already seeing the knock-on effect this has had on our A&E services with the difficulties and delays in arranging care for those discharged from hospital this winter.

The choice is stark when we vote in a General Election in three months’ time.

Do we really want to go back to a 1930s-style society with scant social provision and a privatised health service?

Jo Smith (Mrs)

Pinfarthings