ON Thursday's Question Time (Dec 5) it was re-iterated by Labour's Anneliese Dodds that if elected to government, the tax allowance presently given to married couples would be stopped.

This is because Labour say it is unfair to couples who are not married.

To prevent discriminating against married couples, (marriage is after all a long tradition), surely it would be better to advise those couples who are not married to marry?

It doesn't have to be expensive.

Are unmarried couples campaigning for this change? Not knowing Anneliese's marital status, will she also be losing this allowance I wonder?

In my early working career at Shildon Carriage and Wagon Works I was working in an office doing a 40 hour week while colleagues in other offices on the same grade for the same money worked only 37 – there wasn't a campaign that because they were working less hours they should have their salary reduced.

If Labour were to introduce this course of action surely it should only be against those couples marrying after the introduction of the legislation.

I say that reluctantly as I am a great believer in marriage (and my wife is looking over my shoulder).

Mike Taylor, Darlington.