Not that simple

He implies that private sector workers (charitably) support public sector workers and that this process is one-way.

In actual fact, we all support each other. For example, I support journalists and my local newsagent by buying newspapers.

I support teachers, nurses and doctors by paying taxes. All are legitimate, worthwhile, economic exchanges. All these people in turn support me and my community by providing news, healthcare and education.

Mr Jamieson draws a spurious distinction between what he terms wealth-spenders in the public sector and wealth-creators in the private sector.

Is he referring to the nursery nurse who magically transforms from a wealth creator to a leech on public funds depending on whether he or she is at any given moment working with a privately funded child or one for whom the council is providing a nursery place?

Or is he referring to owners of large businesses? In which case he is confusing wealth-creators with wealth-accumulators. In reality, such individuals make profits by charging as much as the market will allow for a service and paying as little as legislation or the jobs market will allow to their workers.

I fully accept that business owners are wealth-creators too, especially those who work hard in small businesses. But all workers are wealth-creators because we labour to provide goods and services to each other.

These goods and services are the real wealth, not the wizardry of the (private) financial sector who, let us not forget, caused our present difficulties in the first place through their unbounded greed.

GORDON MaCKAY

Queen Victoria Drive

Glasgow