Mr Heath's striptease
Sir: My friend Mr Croft (Letters, 28 Febru- ary) scoffs at my views that 'the idea that the Conservatives are more efficient dis- pensers of justice than Labour is nonsense'.
Nobody would disagree with his opinion that `to dispense justice and to maintain law and order . . . is the first duty of government.' He would probably agree with me that the defence of the nation is an equal duty, though he did not mention this. But does he really believe that under a Tory government the juries are better at interpreting the law, the magistrates' courts more discriminating, the police more duti- ful and the traffic wardens more conscien- tious? The notion is absurd. I welcome the specific proposals on this issue—the law of trespass may need clarification, the police force does need strengthening, to name but two. But it is offensive to hear Mr Quintin Hogg and Sir Peter Rawlinson, distinguished lawyers and Conservative shadow spokes- men, trying to pin to the Government the badge of lawlessness and disorder. The former even attributed the Great Train Robbery of 1963 to the Labour party! Surely the next election can be fought and won on the plethora of real socialist weak- nesses—gross mismanagement of the econ- omy and the highest unemployment since 1940, increasing industrial unrest and vacil- lating and erratic foreign policy. Let the Socialists fling mud if they will—this ques- tion should be kept out of the election arena—if it is not, which issue is next going to be tossed to and fro between the parties —immigration and race relations perhaps?
Geoffrey Kennard Christ Church, Oxford
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