Letter: Means to an end

Sir: The Earl of Cromer, managing director of Inchcape (China) Ltd, told the House of Lords this week: 'What the Hong Kong people want is prosperity, not democracy, unless they can have both' (Inside Parliament, 19 May). How does he know? Democracy is the means of finding out what people want.

Yours faithfully,

PATRICK REYNOLDS

Luxembourg

20 May