29 FEBRUARY 1992, Page 25

That's enough Laski

Sir: This Laski business gets odder and odder. First Hugh Massingberd (All the Queen's men', 1 February) describes Harold Laski as a bore, and now Patrick Marlowe (Letters, 22 February) asserts that although Laski's lectures were 'much applauded by a faithful claque' the man had paranoic feelings about wicked capital- ism.

Perhaps he did, but this is to miss a point which makes Massingberd's assertion mere- ly absurd. I attended the last complete course of lectures Laski gave to first-year students at the LSE and what sticks in my mind 45 years later is that those lectures, dealing with the leading elements of the British constitution, were wildly and hilari- ously funny. He spoke without notes and his lectures were really a series of anec- dotes. He was in fact a first-rate mimic and raconteur and he deployed these gifts to highlight different aspects of his subject in ways which had a crowded lecture theatre repeatedly rocking with laughter.

If only there had been more lecturers like him I might even have passed my exams.

John Pap worth

24 Abercorn Place, London NW8