TO say that I was impressed by the Prime Minister's decision to travel with his family abroad to continue their holiday by cheap airline is a complete understatement.

What a marvellous gesture this is and proves once again how down to earth the Blairs really are.

Imagine, an average family like them, earning at least £500,000 per year, living in state-provided accommodation, looking after the pennies.

What a fine example this should be to us all. I would not jump on the bandwagon by criticising them for changing their minds from the British-owned Easy Jet to the Irish-owned Ryan Air.

Unfortunately, while "Phoney Tony" is impressing us by saving HIS money, the same cannot be said for he and his colleagues when it comes to spending OUR money!

For the year 2000/2001, five cabinet ministers including him, managed to spend a staggering amount of £1,750,000.

Robin Cook (Foreign Secretary): £600,272, Tony Blair: £418,827; Geoff Hoon (Defence Secretary): £344,530; Clare Short (International Development): £115,539; Gordon Brown (Chancellor): £362.963, being the top five spenders.

I recently saw the following -- the word 'politics' is derived from the words 'poly' meaning many and the word 'tics' meaning blood sucking parasites.

While this was no doubt written with tongue in cheek, how many of us could argue with the sentiment?

John Finlay, Blackpool (Address supplied).