ALREADY, the political effect of Ed Miliband’s proposal to freeze energy prices for a limited time if Labour wins the election is having an effect.

The Tories have proposed not increase fuel duty until the General Election, if it can be afforded.

The fuel duty is represented as a Labour idea and the Conservatives have had nothing to do with Britain taking seriously its international obligations to counter the effects on climate change by the consumption of fossil fuels.

Now the Government is going to limit the cost of travel on trains.

What is that if it is not an interference with the market?

The cost of living is the knockon effect of previous policies.

Those who have done well in recent years will be able to absorb increases in prices, but those on low incomes and suffering uncertainties about work will be feeling the full effects.

At the General Election, voters will not pour over macroeconomic statistics, graphs on output and projected forecasts of study groups, but by how they stand personally and how families to cope with day-to-day life. I cannot imagine many people thinking that they have never had it so good.

G Bulmer, Billingham.