18 MARCH 1989, Page 22

Lie of the land

Sir: Patrick Marnham's story about Mr Bernard Ingham's remark ('Camembert- faced effrontery', 11 March) reminds me of a story which the late Sir John Foster told me many years ago. In the 1940s he, together with a number of Conservative MPs, stood at the entrance to the Chamber next to Aneurin Bevan while the Prime Minister (Mr Attlee) was speaking. More than once Mr Bevan said: 'The Prime Minister is lying', 'It's a lie'. Nobody disclosed the remark. Times and habits seem to have changed.

F. A. Mann

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