So the lowest paid would have been on nowhere near as much under a Conservative administration.
I remember Norman Lamont lost us so much in one day (Black Wednesday) that it makes the Government's borrowing look insignificant by comparison.
To those union leaders now striking or thinking of causing disruption for more pay, please use commonsense.
The last thing we want is to go back to a Tory government and high rates of unemployment.
With free bus travel and a £400 heating allowance, I do not want that gang back ever again.
Bill (aged 86), address supplied

Language hinders cohesion in town
In 2007, the Wigan Borough Partnership Board (WBP) formed a Cohesion Commission.
They said that Wigan does not change easily. It is more that people coming into Wigan do not know anything about the town and the people here.
In Wigan we have 51 languages other than English spoken as a first language by school pupils.
This is a problem and people coming here must learn to speak English.
At a recent meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee I was backed up by a teacher.
If Labour wants more cohesion, then we should be asking the people who come here to adapt rather than ask Wigan to change.
The hard-working people of Wigan are lower on the housing priority list and this creates a huge divide rather than encouraging cohesion.
Coun Gareth Fairhurst, leader, Independent Conservative Group

Build jails instead of reducing terms
Am I the only person to have noticed the insidious way in which burglary is described as a "lesser offence"?
In their desperation to solve the problem of our over-crowded prisons, the Government and its advisors are intent on downgrading offences and their appropriate sentences.
Burglary is a serious violation of a householder's home and privacy and has always been so regarded by the courts.
This despicable attempt to change the public perception of such an intrusion must be firmly resisted.
The answer to overcrowded prisons is to build more jails, not to rewrite our laws to prevent criminals being adequately punished.
Philip Griffiths, UKIP North West chairman, King Street, Lancaster, LA1 1JN (Tel: 01524 387690)

Look out for nests of hedgehog mums
We are always saddened to get calls from distressed members of the public who have found a hedgehog with injuries inflicted by strimmers or other garden machinery.
Please be aware that these cutting tools mutilate these hedgehogs, so ensure the area is free from wildlife before commencing work.
We are also getting many calls from people who accidentally disturbed hedgehog nests while gardening.
Female hedgehogs may abandon or even kill their young if disturbed, so to give them all the best chance the nest should be replaced as best it can and left alone. Meat-based pet food and fresh water can be left in the garden so the mother can reach it.
For more advice, please visit www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk.
Fay Vass, British Hedgehog Preservation Society