Letters: In Brief

Sir: The issue of fat cats' pay is a little more complex than you imply (leading article, 13 August). The fat cat domain is not a market so much as an arena dominated by the exchange of mutual favours by its inhabitants (in which underperformance generally goes unpunished). And do we really know that the pool of candidates for such posts (as distinct from those who have secured a place on the relevant network) is so small?

Dr PETER SMITH

Chittlehamholt,

Devon

Sir: So, some economists interpreted the July fall in the jobless numbers as a cause for concern, saying that unemployment needed to rise to keep the lid on earnings growth ("Fall in pay growth keeps lid on rates", 13 August). Who are these economists? I wonder what their earnings growth has been over the last few years. Perhaps they will be the first to volunteer for redundancy. Or are they just talking about other people?

TONY ANDERTON

Leeds