MS Pow thinks the Government has made us all better off.

The only measure to justify this is the continuation of the Liberal Democrat policy of increasing the personal allowance for anyone who earns enough to pay income tax.

This policy was forced by the Lib Dems in 2010 on a reluctant David Cameron, who said we couldn't afford it.

The authentic Conservative approach since the Coalition ended in 2015 has been to make sure that most tax cuts have gone to the most wealthy, while the introduction of Universal Credit has been accompanied by savage cuts and delays which disrupt families dependent on regular income.

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This results in more working families with children in poverty, increasing use of foodbanks, landlords more reluctant to accept tenants on UC, a greater threat of homelessness.

Meanwhile, a toxic combination of a Tory Government and Tory local councils ensures that our council tax goes up by twice the rate of inflation while services are cut to the bone and Somerset County Council faces bankruptcy.

These are the monuments of Conservative rule. Instead of boasting, Ms Pow should be ashamed.

ALAN PAUL

Taunton