From William Church.
I READ with interest you feature letter entitled, ‘The struggle to buy a small basket of food’ by Chris Whitworth (JEP, 12 October).

Mr Whitworth argues with great passion how rising costs are affecting everyone, with particular reference to those on lower disposable incomes.

Regardless of any other changes in taxation laws that he quotes, the fact that Island individuals and families are struggling is precisely why GST should remain on food items.

This is a highly emotive subject and if you were to remove GST from the one category that affects all Islanders, then it would take it out of the public eye, which could then prove more costly in the long run.

When everyday Islanders are no longer so passionate about GST then government will be able to raise it as they see fit, and this could affect everyone far more on many other purchases.

I firmly believe that we need to keep this topic rolling and urge States Members to focus on cost cutting measures while maintaining all initiatives to encourage investment and spend – that is the way out of recession. All other roads will lead to stagnation and a return to the darker days of the 1970s and early 80s.