IT saddens me to see what is happening to this great “nation of shopkeepers” as the private sector is being destroyed by Covid.

It is the private sector which makes all the money that is spent by the public sector.

When so many businesses are closing and employees are being made redundant, it would seem fair for the Government to reduce the public spending by lowering all local government officers’ and civil servants’ pay by, say, 10 per cent to provide funds to help pay for this crisis. We should all bear the burden equally.

John Armstrong, Bishop Auckland.