and against
Sir: To take issue with Spectator is, I imagine, akin to challenging the Establishment. But I feel I must.
In my letter re the change of ownership, fearing a change of Spectator (Spectator, August 30), I pleaded continuance of the policy that had endeared good Conservatives. Now alas one begins to have doubts and dreads.
A fortnight ago there was the absurd suggestion to Mrs Thatcher to take Edward Heath into the Shadow Cabinet. Understandably there was a storm of protesting letters — and from broadcasting experience I estimated a hundred agreers to every writer — but undaunted Spectator visualises the taking of Mr Heath into a triumphant Mrs Thatcher's Cabinet. How wrong can you be?
As any Tory canvasser can tell you, Mr Edward Heath is worth thousands of votes to Labour, If Mrs Thatcher even looks towards the failure-prone Mr Heath she, and us, can already resign ourselves to yet another Labour victory. Leonard H. Pendlebury 24 Sidford House, Hercules Road, London SEI Sir: Let us hope that the emergence of Mrs Thatcher as a national figure heralds the end of an era of slick professionalism in politics which has culminated in the Wilson-Heath nightmare and brought the British nation to the brink of disaster. The process really began with the Asquith Government of 1908 though one of the founder members of the cult, Lloyd George, saw dangers ahead when he warned "Socialism is like the sand of the desert; it gets into your hair, it gets into your clothes, it gets into everything". But even in his wildest flights of oratorical fancy Lloyd George could not have foretold that the most ruinous inflation in our history would be presided over by a professional economist of the highest academic quality.
May I add that Mrs Thatcher's greatest strenth is that she is a rallying point for the very sizeable volume of moderate opinion which was alienated by Mr Heath. If he is brought back into the fold this vital s-upport will vanish overnight.
In Heath's case distance has not lent enchantment to the view; and those stupid enough to be campaigning for his return to the Front Bench must be completely out of touch with opinion in the sector of the electorate which matters.
J. D. Godber 22 Sandcross Lane, Reigate, Surrey
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