I WAS only half-listening when I heard it suggested on TV that someone was paid a £21m arrangement fee to obtain PPE at the start of the pandemic. By the time the penny dropped, the programme had moved on.

Dan Walker, on BBC Breakfast the next day, interviewed a minister to hold them to account for this unbelievable, totally unacceptable, disregard for taxpayers’ money, but he received a very blasé response.

The bulk of Government funds are secured from working class men and women contributing week in week out to the system. The difference between paying tax and not paying tax is a second-hand car as opposed to a new car, living in rented property as opposed to buying one’s own home, watching football on TV as opposed to a season ticket.

We make these sacrifices to play our part to have our combined efforts treated with disdain by numpty civil servants who have never done a real day’s work in their lives. By real day’s work I mean tote that bar, lift that bale.

When Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, I believe, squandered £80m on barges and boats contract with a firm that did not have any.

Theresa May wasted £4m trying to deport a Jordanian cleric who was preaching hatred on our streets and who finally left on his own volition.

Not only must this stop but recompense must be made by those responsible.

It is the only way they will recognise their responsibilities.

Harold Mackenley, Cockfield.