Doubts over the '79 Tories
From Mr Allan Massie Sir: I am a bit puzzled by my old friend Bruce Anderson's column, 'John Townend is the reason why the Tories should return to the old selection methods' (Politics, 5 May).
I wouldn't disagree with his judgment that 'The Tory party needs to exercise more care in its choice of personnel', and am quite happy to approve the 'informal and oldfashioned' methods of Sir Anthony Grant.
But then, he says approvingly, 'Twentyfive years on, it is possible to compare the Grant and Fox methods. The Tony Grant one was an outstanding success. It helped produce the 1979 intake of Tory MPs, one of the best vintages of all time.' Fair enough.
What puzzles me is that John Townend belonged to that vintage, being first elected to Parliament in. . . 1979. Rum.
Allan Massie
Selkirk, Scotland
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