SIR – The UK’s low-wage economy resulting from ‘new’ Labour Tony Blair’s – flexible Labour market – globalisation and mass immigration? under scrutiny again, not this time from Ed Miliband quoting a ‘living’ wage of about £8 an hour, but the Green Party, who want the national minimum wage lifting to £10 per hour!

Although few if any of today’s politicians have any real idea of the close relationship between wages and everyday commodity prices, possibly with the exception of Justine Green, MP, (Coalition International Development Secretary) who rightly believes that government needs more like her who have actually ‘stacked shelves’ at Morrisons at one stage.

But over my lifetime I know that one very good benchmark to use is the ratio of hourly rates of pay to the price of petrol: As for example, 50 years ago, when I completed my apprenticeship in printing, I was on over ten bob an hour (50p+) when lesser jobs possibly only got 7/6d (37.6p) – petrol was five bob (25p) per gallon – do the maths yourself?

Fast forward to 2014, and petrol at 1.30p per litre or £6 a gallon, so an ‘average’ job should be paying £9 per hour! Not just £6.31p – it’s as simple as that.

D S Boyes, Upper Rodley Lane, Leeds