IN SEARCH of our votes the main political parties are criticising each other and using all means of media propaganda to persuade us who is best – and as someone who does not belong to any political party I am not certain who I can trust.

The Tories are asking for support to ensure a beneficial outcome to the Brexit negotiations yet cannot or will not tell us what the benefits will be – Brexit will happen whoever is in power!

The Tories offer stability and security but fail to give us the criteria on which the winter fuel allowance will be based and refuse to promise they will not increase VAT, national insurance and income tax. I am tempted to think that the taxes on the self-employed will be resurrected once they are in power and are not bound by a manifesto.

The Labour Party manifesto is generous with their promises but costings are open to question. There is no doubt that the energy companies need to be curbed, that the NHS has to be protected and that education needs to be kept in the hands of the local authorities and properly funded which will not happen if the grammar and free schools are allowed to develop.

But where is the spare cash? All political parties and most MPs of all parties continue to vote for overseas aid and even agree it should be increased annually.

At this time it stands at £13billion a year which would seem to be the amount we would need to protect our services.

I am bound to wonder whether our MPs are living in the real world or are they insulated and protected financially in the Westminster cocoon.

I will be reading the manifestos critically, setting aside personalities and voting for what is best for my family as a microcosm of our society and hoping I have made the right decision.

JOHN COLE

Milford Haven