SIR - MPs have accepted a 1.9 per cent pay rise to placate public sector workers - what a wonderful gesture! But how about a return to plain speaking?

Why these percentage figures all the time? Are governments doing so to disguise the fact that 1.9 per cent of an MP's salary is an amount in excess of 1.9 per cent of most lesser mortals' salaries? Let's not mention the gross expense allowances allocated to MPs.

Many years ago, my contemporaries and I were informed of pay increases either by our new hourly rate in pounds, shillings and pence, making it easy to calculate your new "wage". Or if you were in a staff position, you were informed of your new weekly wage. This was all plain speaking, acceptable and understood by all.

In my opinion, the "percentage spin" is in the hope that we are too thick to realise that the gap between the well-paid and low-paid continues to widen, and has stealthily done so for some time, without objection.

We all have to pay the same price for food at the shops, and we all have to pay our gas and electricity bills, which are due to escalate alarmingly.

It all echoes an old workmate, long gone, who used to say: "Ten per cent of nowt is nowt". Now that was plain speaking!

Keith Sivyer, Dalecroft Rise, Allerton, Bradford