COLUMNIST Harry Mead (Echo, May 9) once again peddles the Tory myth that the pension crisis was caused by Gordon Brown's taxation policy on pension fund dividends.

He must know that the main causes of the crisis were the collapse of the stock market and the increasing longevity of the population.

If Mr Brown had not altered the tax position on pensions there would still be a pension crisis but this fact, of course, conflicts with Mr Mead's political ideology.

B Edwards, Darlington.