I AM amazed at the claim of leading Tories, namely Mr Hague and Mr Portillo and Mr Maude, that so-called New Labour stealth taxes are costing the average British family hundreds of pounds each year. Will these families please step forward and identify themselves?

The claim was made once again by Mr Maude on last week's TV programme 'Any Questions'. When the TV programme ended, I referred back to my yearly P60 forms, from which I calculated that, for the Tory tax years 94/95, 95/96 and 96/97, my total tax deduction was 15.3pc of my total income.

I did the same calculation for the New Labour tax years 97/98, 98/99 and 99/2000 and came up with the answer of 13.8pc.

I then went further and checked my fuel bills for VAT and discovered that the reduction from 17.5pc to 5pc was saving me £32 per year.

Furthermore, the reduction of £55 to my road tax is an additional bonus. If only the insurance costs were to be reduced likewise.

Taking into account the additional benefits for pensioners, I would suggest that some two-and-a-half million people are now quite happy.

We like your stealth taxes, Gordon. May we have many more, please?

In conclusion, I am prepared to pay a high cost for petrol if it will benefit the environment. The level of duty is a health and not a stealth tax.

Mr J Holding

Victoria Court,

Stocks Park Drive,

Horwich, Bolton.