SIR - John Cole is absolutely spot on in his analysis of austerity economics (Letters, September 29). They have not worked and, indeed, cannot work. A modern economy relies on effective demand to function properly.

What we have is a situation whereby wages, after adjustment for inflation, have actually fallen every year since 2008. We have a perfect storm of wages being squeezed, zero-hours contracts proliferating and job security disappearing.

George Osborne deliberately stopped economic growth by choking off government spending, just when he should have been increasing it because of historically low levels of interest rates.

This was quite deliberate and purely for ideological reasons. What the economy needs is growth based on consumer spending increasing and government spending intentions being loosened. Both are crucial, but have no chance of happening under this government.

As for the media, and especially the BBC; they are deliberately misleading the British public.

Ian Parsons, Alexandra Road, Eccleshill, Bradford