12 MAY 1990, Page 27

Sir: John Mortimer (Diary, 14 April) could not be more

wrong when he stated that Churchill 'came to power after mercilessly denouncing' Chamberlain and using that example to urge Heseltine publicly to attack the poll tax.

In the Norway debate which brought Chamberlain down in May 1940 Churchill — a loyal minister in Chamberlain's War Cabinet — spoke eloquently in Chamber- lain's defence.

To pursue Mr Mortimer's Churchill analogy Heseltine should not have res- igned over Westland but rather have stayed in the Cabinet, supported the poll tax and earned his place as Mrs Thatcher's successor.

Andrew Roberts

19 Collingham Place, London SW5