21 DECEMBER 1974, Page 5

British Leyland and the Arabs

Sir: Not long ago, British Leyland had a long-term contract with the Israeli Government to build an assembly plant in Israel from which was supplied the bus fleet on which the transport of that country depended.

The Arab boycott office then turned its attention to British Leyland, and, as a result, the company immediately agreed to renege on its contract with the Israeli Government, and shut down its factory in Israel. Lord Stokes is now in Cairo, trying to set up a factory there; this pre-supposes that British Leyland intends to continue to connive in the Arab boycott.

It also seems that, through the good offices of Mr W. Benn, I, as a taxpayer, am now to become a contributing partner in a scheme of organised international blackmail, which, if practised on a national scale in this country, would be deemed criminal.

if, in future, I should have to answer in the courts for non-payment of tax, that will be my defence.

Mary Brassey 39 Dovehouse Street, London 5W3