IN going along with the sentiments in Don Rishton's letter (LT, January 21) it is worth remembering that expediency rules (ie a convenient argument made to suit a particular situation).

A prime example of this is when a political party comes forward with a policy which appears quite fair and progressive, only to be derided with cries of "how will it be paid for" or "it hasn't been properly costed".

The Government also likes to play this game'. However, this did not prevent Gordon Brown from standing up in the House of Commons a few months ago and casually committing billions of pounds to a new nuclear missile system to replace Trident.

There were no discussions or criticisms about whether the proposed new weapons system had been properly costed'.

Blackburn with Darwen Council's policy of dropping wage levels to come in line with a lower level, instead of raising pay rates to come in line with the higher levels, is at odds with past arguments about raising people up, rather than dragging other people down.

If you spot a poor person on the street in obvious poverty, you wouldn't want to bring everyone down to their level, so that everyone was the same.

You would surely want to see them, in some way, raised up to the same level as yourself.

A CULVERHOUSE, Cavendish Street, Darwen.