Reading in Berkshire is a metropolis on the north side of the M4 motorway, to the west of London. “£150,000 may seem a lot in Edinburgh, but it isn’t a lot in Reading” – quote from ‘one senior Labour figure’ in ‘‘Real’ Labour regroups to fight the old battles’, an article by Rachel Sylvester in The Times, November 25th 2008.

Inland Revenue statistics, table 3.15, income and tax by parliamentary constituency in 2005-06, consulted on November 25th 2008: Total income of taxpayers (i.e. excluding non-taxpayers) in Reading East constituency: median income £20,100, mean income £28,000. In the Reading West constituency, median income of taxpayers £18,600, mean income £24,300. Is the ’senior Labour figure’ unaware of the income data? Clearly, an annual income of £150,000 is a distant dream for most inhabitants of Reading.