Letter: Planet Tory

"Major: the verdict of history" (11 May) may unfairly encourage those seeking a scapegoat for the Tories devastation at the general election.

The fact is that at some point in the recent past, the Conservative Party decided to take off for another planet. There, Britain ruled the waves, Margaret Thatcher was permanent prime minister, the economy was booming and all social problems could be solved by market forces alone. Not surprisingly, such detachment from what was really going on created a deep psychosis within the party. Whether John Major was a true believer or not, he was certainly never in a position to return then to reason.

Gordon Williams

Chichester, West Sussex