His Baroness's voice
Sir: Robin Harris ('This man is dangerous', 29 July) is wrong to accuse the Foreign Sec- retary of agnosticism on the question of devolution. Malcolm Rifkind has consistently said that devolution is not necessarily a prob- lem, if it is part of a constitutional package for the whole of the United Kingdom.
The difficulty arises with the lukewarm attitude of most Scots to devolved govern- ment and the active opposition of most of the English regions. It is this that makes the current Labour position on devolution so incoherent. This is quite a separate point from the Foreign Secretary having 'no problem' with devolution in principle.
As for his jibes against Rifkind's suitabili- ty for high office, it seems most of his hos- tility is fuelled by the fact that Rifkind actu- ally had the temerity to disagree with Lady Thatcher, when she was prime minister, and offer a different view of Conservative policy.
It is not surprising to see Robin Harris echoing the sentiments of Baroness Thatcher in her memoirs, where she singles Malcolm Rifkind out for her most bruising personal attack. As one of the people who helped Lady Thatcher write her memoirs, it is interesting to see Robin Harris giving voice to her view again.
Mark A. O'Brien
32 Wavel Place, Dulwich Woods, London SE26
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