Letter: Deceitful are unfit to govern

ALAN WATKINS is right when he states that the misunderstanding of John Major's speech to the Conservative conference, 'has largely been both deliberate and cynical'. But surely nowhere more so than within the Tory party itself. When a Conservative Prime Minister coins a phrase like 'back to basics', the party faithful knows exactly what it wants that to mean. It was breathtakingly nave of the leadership to expect anything else.

Moreover, had Mr Major moved as quickly and decisively as Edward Heath to disown the unpleasantly moralistic and xenophobic ranting of some of his colleagues on the platform, he may have preserved a touch more credibility.

As things stand, Mr Major deserves to be pilloried, not for the content of the speech, but for the ineptitude that has permitted the right to exploit this shambles.

Steve Shreeve

Oxted, Surrey