HAVING read Hugh Pender's letter (HAS, May 17) I suspect he still believes there are fairies at the bottom of his garden.

The outgoing Chancellor has the satisfaction of knowing that all the stealth taxes he has imposed on the Sassenachs will not affect those constituents in Midlothian who voted for him.

When Mr Brown becomes Prime Minister he will then be introducing laws which, again, will not affect his popularity in his constituency and whatever happens he can look forward to a fat pension and the possibility of building his own private fortune.

As Chancellor, he has increased income by billions of pounds by, for example, not raising the stamp duty threshold so that thousands of people struggling to get onto the property ladder have had to pay stamp duty.

A raid on pension funds has affected the amount savers have received by way of pensions. I believe that at a recent count it was apparent that he had introduced 54 stealth taxes.

To be fair, he is a brilliant magician. Every time he appears to reduce taxation he, by sleight of hand or otherwise, actually increases it.

Many are pleased to see the back of Tony Blair. They might find such pleasure short-lived.

John W Antill, Darlington.