AS a Wiltshire Council taxpayer of £2,160 per year plus £40 for green bin collection, I find it inconceivable that Jane Scott can find time to do her present job properly and go to the House of Lords.

Surely if she has had so much free time in the past to take on this new ‘job’, why hasn’t she joined David Cameron’s ‘big society’ and voluntarily helped her overworked, underpaid welfare workers, especially the really unpleasant parts of their work, but maybe this would be beneath her pay level. As she will be a member of a government which forces councils to charge £24 a week for an extra bedroom, yet pay members of the House of Lords £300 per day plus expenses, and have use of subsidised canteens – oops, sorry, restaurants – there must be something wrong with our society. The expression “snouts in the trough” comes to mind.

As the Lords payment for some reason is tax free, I am sure all the pensioners with small private pensions, which exceed the tax allowance, would be grateful for the same conditions.

Also, Ms Scott’s track record for sorting out our highways contractors, and the original workmanship of the County Hall roof, leaves a lot to be desired.

We have probably some of the worst roads in the country. She will become a member of an unelected chamber of government which we have no say in.

We can only elect around 630 MPs, which David Cameron wants to reduce for political gain, so why do we need 800 Lords-a-leaping – or sleeping – as the case may be?

M T STONE

Market Lavington