18 SEPTEMBER 1993, Page 27

Handbagged

Sir: Martin Vander Weyer (`The indignity of elder statesmanship', 11 September) claims it is 'no secret' the Sunday Times sent back the first draft of Margaret Thatcher's memoirs, which we shall seri- alise from 10 October, to be 'livened up' before we could find extracts worth serialis- ing. This is completely, and in every respect, untrue.

Michael Jones

Political Editor, The Sunday Times, 1 Pennington Street, London El