Sir, I find myself thinking that it would almost be a shame to deny Labour the chance to build on what it has achieved after eight years in office (Captain P. R. D. Kimm’s letter, February 10). For it seems that, having deliberately chosen to reject anything that the Conservatives had previously been involved with, Tony Blair’s Government is now increasingly adopting Conservative proposals at the national level, such as the right-to-buy and immigration “point” schemes.
Even at the local level, the Government finally appears to be recognising the value of what had gone before. Eight years after rejecting an already advanced scheme to dual a singlecarriageway bottleneck near Tunbridge Wells, the Government has, at significant cost to the taxpayer, finally come up with its own similar scheme.
Similarly, an urgently needed new hospital that should by now be operational has made no progress, because Private Finance Initiative funding that the Conservatives had secured in the 1990s was rejected; but now that PFI is somewhat acceptable again, we have the prospect of eventual improvement in our present zero-rated hospital trust.
I remain, yours faithfully,
JOHN HAYWARD,
PO Box 310,
Tunbridge Wells TN1 1WT.
drjohnhayward@tiscali.co.uk
February 16.
From Mr Robert Perkins
Advertisement
Sir, Mr J. R. Havers-Strong (letter, February 16) complains of this Government’s “shallow, media-driven, shifting ideas, moved as much as anything by instant response to the latest fad”.
If this means sustained economic growth, full employment, improving education and shorter NHS waiting lists, then many will welcome such ideas.
Yours faithfully,
ROBERT PERKINS,
26 Park Road,
Winslow, Buckingham,
Buckinghamshire MK18 3DL.
February 17.
From Sir David Goodall
Advertisement
Sir, Professor Hugh Berrington (letter, February 16) seems to imply that our current Government should be excused its misdeeds because earlier governments have done the same or worse.
It is perhaps worth pointing out that Mr Neville Chamberlain, whatever his faults, did not take us into the Second World War on what turned out to be a false prospectus; and that the Suez affair resulted in the swift destruction of the Prime Minister who was responsible for it.
It is, moreover, difficult to think of any parallels in the past for the frivolous shortsightedness with which the Blair Government has tinkered with the constitution, or the zest with which it stifles voluntary activity with bureaucratic controls and regulations.
Yours faithfully,
DAVID GOODALL,
Greystones,
Ampleforth, York YO62 4DU.
February 16.
Advertisement
From Mr John Curtis
Sir, I agree that we have an elective dictatorship (letter, February 16) in the UK.
Maybe a compassionate foreign country will take pity on us, decide that we are in need of regime change, and invade.
Yours faithfully,
J. CURTIS,
46 Laurel Gardens,
Locks Heath, Hampshire SO31 6QH.
February 16.
Advertisement
From Mr Peter Scott
Sir, Given the Prime Minister’s new tactic of answering a question with a question (report, February 17), I wondered how he would answer: “Would you say that you tend to be more evasive when answering questions?”
Yours faithfully,
PETER C. SCOTT,
Flat 5,
336 London Road,
North End, Portsmouth PO2 9JY.
peter__scott__best@btopenworld.com
February 17.