Commentators seem to have been much exercised recently with the idea that the Government's dispute with the European Union may enable John Major to win the next general election. The Prime Minister's obsession with selling candle wax and bull semen may not measure up to the concerns of a Palmerston, say, or Gladstone, or Churchill, but if it wins him the election, no doubt he would be satisfied.

The question which I pose is not whether Mr Major will win the election but, rather, what does he wish to win it for? In short, what would another period of Conservative government do? They would not join a European Federation but, since there is no such in existence, not joining scarcely amounts to much. Likewise they will not join a single currency, or at least, not yet, which puts them in the same position as every other member of the EU. The difference is that the others have the sense to recognise that they have an opt-out but that publicly demanding one only causes unnecessary offence.

There would be no devolution for Scotland or Wales, still less for the English regions; no elected local government for London. In fact there would be no attempt at constitutional reform. We could scarcely expect this government to take on board the exploitation of the consumer by the private utilities with their continuing effective monopolies; indeed, one of the few things they would do is sell off the last remnants of the public sector to its existing real owners. Nor could we expect any measures to tackle unemployment.

In short, like Mr Micawber, the Prime Minister would carry on, waiting for something to turn up, one bankrupt following the example of another.

John Taylor

Ashford, Kent