Letter: Revenge wasn't Al Fayed's

Chris Blackhurst's investigation of the role of Michael Howard in the setting up of the DTI report into House of Fraser ("The curse of Al Fayed", 18 May) broke much fresh ground but gave the impression that Mohammed Al Fayed made his disclosures about the conduct of some Tory MPs because the Home Office had turned down his application for naturalisation.

This is not so. Mr Al Fayed's revelations were first published on 20 October 1994. The Home Office rejected his citizenship application on 23 February 1995, more than four months later. If anyone was taking revenge it was the Tory government.

Mr Al Fayed's motivation was simple: despite considerable personal and commercial risk he told what he knew because he believed the voters had a right to know what some of their elected representatives get up to hiding behind the letters MP.

Michael Cole

Harrods, London SW1