DEIrdre McAuley (Get up off the sofa and contribute, Letters, January 6) applauds Ed Balls's adoption of the Conservative government's gimmick of telling the unemployed they need to accept jobs or lose benefits, based on the myth that most unemployed people don't want jobs, which ignores the fact that there are over five times more people unemployed than jobs available.

The real problem is not enough jobs for those wanting work.

Duncan McFarlane

Carluke