6 FEBRUARY 1993, Page 23

Sir: John Patten's defence of the British constitution reveals a

sad ignorance of his- tory. He quotes with approval the Duke of Wellington's notorious endorsement of the legislative system in 1830. Yet, as every schoolboy knows, this diehard declaration led to the fall of the Tory government and the passing of the Reform Bill. The speech was so inept because it denied the existence of manifest constitutional ills. Mr Patten repeats the ineptitude vis-à-vis our ailing monarchy. Perhaps he should stick to geog- raphy.

Piers Brendon

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