SIR - Ed Miliband has come in for a lot of stick from the media for “forgetting to mention the deficit” in his speech to the Labour Conference.

In this the media and coalition spokesmen would seem to be in collusion in getting two related messages across to the British public.

First: that the government budget deficit is the most important economic issue facing the country.

Secondly: that the only way to reduce the deficit is by extending the programme of austerity and pursuing cuts in government spending.

Both of these propositions are twaddle and betray a profound ignorance of economic theory and practice.

If austerity policies have proved so ineffective over a three-year period then the time has come to change course completely. We are engaging in unnecessary pain for pathetically little gain.

And if you do not believe me on the economics of this I suggest you try “youtube” - Robert Reich - “After Austerity” - a talk he gave in July last year.

A world-renowned economist demolishes, with humour, the austerity argument.

John Cole, Oakroyd Terrace, Baildon