AS we enter 2013, politicians on both sides of the Atlantic are engaging in an exchange of words, all directed supposedly at dealing with the recession.

The recession, and ways of addressing the budget deficit and the level of national debt, causes tempers to rise and blame to be directed at those no longer in power. Meanwhile, the people most affected by the decisions sit powerless.

In the US, the power brokers have agreed a deal that will avoid a catastrophe for the US economy.

The plan brings together a meeting of minds with different ideologies.

While the US has a more influential economy than ours, trying to set a centre ground is something that we should embrace in our economic thinking.

If we accept that things could have been very different had the previous Labour government been more stringent in its relationships with the banks and the financial services sector we cannot remain static in addressing recovery.

It is my belief that, regardless of the state of economy, the Conservative-led coalition would have embarked on severe cuts in public services.

Before coming to office, David Cameron made it very clear that his intention was to make the public sector leaner.

When he talked of reforming welfare his objective was to remove, or reduce, benefits dependency. But, of course, all of this is conditional on a vibrant economy.

It is fine to fire insults at those of us who care deeply for the poor and vulnerable.

Indeed it is a mark of how the Government views aspiration. For employment to exist, industry to function and for incomes to be at or above the minimum wage, intervention from the public purse is essential.

Bernie Walsh, Coxhoe.