21 MAY 1977, Page 18

True Toryism

Sir: How welcome it was to hear three leading Conservatives recently. Lord Hailsham (29 March) was calling on td, Conservative Party to show sound practical reasoning designed to the country out of its difficulties,' whilet get were reminded by Mr Julian Amery t4' April) that `the Tory Party is a very 13N.ad Church', available to Tories and non-Tories alike. Finally, in your columns Mr John Grigg (30 April) wrote: 'Nothing could be more inappropriate or contrary to Id tradition of the Party than that it should become opposed to the state and pledged t0 diminishing its role'. The 'Broad Church' of the Tory Party.ha.s always relied on being practical and realistic in its approach to the nation's affairs. gel Tories in the late nineteenth century os.e the power of the state for social reforrnirl purposes, and how successful it provea' Disraeli, Chamberlain, the 1950s-1960s; that is the justification for the 'middle waY — Tories, and Tories plus. Jamie Hungerford

Norton, Pondfield Road, Kenley