THE Conservative Government has discovered a new funding formula – someone else pays and they get the credit.

Take the free childcare promise, 30 hours a week for three and four year-olds. It’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.

Fifteen per cent of UK nurseries are not even taking part and 60 per cent of nurseries are considering charging parents for meals and nappies to make up for the Government’s financial shortfall.

The Conservatives love advertising things that cost them nothing, and remember many of these policies got them elected such as the introduction of the National Living Wage which pays substantially more than the minimum wage. A great idea, yes. But it’s the biggest hoodwink in political history as no employer is legally bound to pay it.

And finally the controversial Health and Work Programme for the disabled and disadvantaged costing approximately £130m a year. In fact the scheme won’t cost the Government a penny piece as it has been funded from cuts of more than £1bn taken from new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants.

Stephen Dixon, Redcar