SIR: Last Tuesday your newspaper carried two stories epitomising the massive inequality that exists because of this government's policies. You highlighted a survey undertaken by the Low Pay Unit, which revealed that almost nine out of 10 jobs in Bolton's job centres pay less than £200 a week. At the same time we heard that 'king of the fat cats', Sir Desmond Pitcher, received a massive 21 per cent pay increase, taking his salary to £346,000 - just after announcing 1800 job losses.

It is at times like this that Messrs. Thurnham and Sackville, t begin to show their true colours. They will refuse to condemn this inequality quite simply because they are unable to see anything wrong with it. They are out of touch with the frustrations faced by many of us on low incomes.

When the next election comes, people should begin to ask people like Mr Sackville what he is going to do about this gulf that is widening between the haves and the have-nots. Suddenly starting to take an interest in Bolton West just because we are entering a General Election is no good if you are just going to look after your own interests as soon as it is over.

M Schmid, Old Vicarage Mews, Daisy Hill, Westhoughton, Bolton.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.