TONY Blair and his cabinet members have set a fine example on pay restraint. Nevertheless, I suggest local teachers, doctors, nurses and council employees base their pay claims on an example set nearer home - the 774 per cent increase in basic pay our local councillors have awarded themselves.

On this basis a 10 per cent increase would seem like peanuts.

S HUGHES, Cranshaw Drive, Blackburn.

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