10 SEPTEMBER 1983, Page 19

Sir: The generous-minded Mr Welch urges decent people, in effect,

to enter politics, in order to counterbalance the unpleasant lot who seem to be filling the profession up now. Alas, if the situation is as he seems to think (and he may well be right) the prognosis is a grave one. Before the last war, it was commonly said in France that no decent people would enter politics because of the lies and corruption of the political environment, And indeed, a process of this sort seems to be impossible to halt or reverse without a first-rate crisis. Perhaps, however, we can be saved by our own apathy and idleness, so different from the French; though these are not remedies one would actually recommend.

R, V. Smith 17 Rodney Road, New Malden, Surrey