Letter : Poor perception

Sir: Kenneth Clarke attacked "the ridiculous idea that the rich have got richer but the poor have got poorer in Britain since 1979" ("Portillo at odds with Major over big salary", 2 March).

Yesterday the House of Lords was debating the Rowntree Report, which argued precisely the case which Mr Clarke finds so ridiculous. Conservative attempts to rubbish the report foundered on three rocks: a balanced committee of impeccable reputation, the fact that the report represents a consensus among all those who know anything about the subject -except some of those who take the Conservative whip - and the fact that it coincides with the everyday awareness of ordinary people.

If ministers want to communicate with us, they should come and live in the same world as the rest of us.

Yours faithfully,

RUSSELL

House of Lords

London, SW1