On the assumption that local Members of Parliament read the Echo (and we know that until the expenses row blew up last year at least one such local MP was claiming the cost of the Echo on his expenses) it is worth noting that no elected representative has wanted to respond to the challenge posed by the recent report of the Institute of Fiscal Studies which demonstrated that people on lower incomes will bear the biggest impact of spending cuts.

If that is too difficult perhaps they will indicate what steps they would like to see taken to recoup the £40 billion HM Revenue and Customs indicate has been lost through tax evasion?

With unemployment set to rise to 2.8 million we could well use that money to assist those who need help; but it is pretty unlikely that this will happen; much simpler to bash those with the least capability of offering resistance.

Gordon Cann, Craigmoor Avenue, Bournemouth