Get into the real world of pay

It was with great interest that I read the interview between Di Bowerman, David Beasley and Hugo Swire (June 11).

It was with great interest that I read the interview between Di Bowerman, David Beasley and Hugo Swire (June 11).

I hope I have got the right end of the stick, but it seems that Mr Swire is saying that, as he receives a meagre �64k pa for being an MP, it is grossly unfair that council employees of Devon and Plymouth receive, I will not say earn, �124k and �168k, respectively, all this, remember, being bullied out of the pockets of the hard-pressed local council tax payers.

I will not even mention the large, gilt-edged and, nowadays, completely unsustainable pensions to which many of council employees look forward.

So, it looks as if Mr Swire and I are, for once, on the same wavelength.

He is, I assume, pointing out the vast discrepancy between his salary and that of the council chiefs and, I hope, suggesting that these grossly inflated salaries be promptly cut to the still very generous emoluments received by MPs. More strength to his arm that will earn him more votes than any other single action could possibly do.

If the chiefs concerned are convinced that they are actually worth this much, I suggest they go out into the open market, firms which have to make a profit competing against other firms, for example, and see how they get on there, in the real world.

George Fardell,

The Retreat, Lympstone.