There seems to be a real perception at the moment that all politicians are the same and there is no difference between the two major parties. This view is supported when one week the Conservatives announce massive cutbacks in the Civil Service and then the next week the Labour government adopts the idea as policy.

However, beyond the headlines the real dividing lines between the parties are not noticed. Labour talks a Conservative talk, but can't walk the walk.

In the same week that Chancellor Brown announced the cutting of 100,000 civil service jobs, the government advertised for a further 1,000 public sector jobs - with a wage bill totaling £36m. Various positions, with wonderful job titles attached, that betray Labour's true feelings. They talk about cutting the bureaucracy, whilst continuing to let it grow.

The funniest and, at the same time the saddest, element of this fraud is that people are being hired to add to the numbers in a quango that the Government recently announced it was abolishing. Adding staff to quangos that do exist is bad enough; adding staff to quangos that don't exist is the ultimate sign of a government that has totally lost touch.

People may see the two parties as being similar but you have to look beyond the headlines. Labour believes in big government, the Conservatives believe in small government.