Letter: Parliament loses vote of confidence

Sir: At approximately 4pm this afternoon, my office paused for a moment to watch the so-called 'historic vote' in the House of Commons, where approximately 650 MPs, wasting public time and money for the second time in 24 hours, and to the total boredom of the electorate other than themselves, were voting on the Social Chapter of the Maastricht Treaty.

Maybe I am in contempt of Parliament for having these thoughts, but does not Parliament now have contempt of the country, and is not that far worse?

Yours faithfully,

ANTHONY SMALLHORN

Hitchin, Hertfordshire

23 July

(Photograph omitted)