15 NOVEMBER 1997, Page 30

Sir: Ideally today's Widmerpool candidate served as an officer in

the second world war, became a Labour MP, thence to the Lords, is by nature a blusterer and a verbal bully, and, for me, the one man who fits this description is Denis Healey.

Who can ever forget his tantrum when being questioned by that most ferocious of interviewers Ann Diamond?

Now, safely ensconced in the Upper Chamber, he and that other Widmerpool

LETTERS

candidate Lord Callaghan are still wheeled out from time to time to pontificate on cur- rent political events, which is a bit rich con- sidering the mess they both made of things when in power.

John R. Chapman

Hazel Grove, Willow Hall Drive, Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire