17 JANUARY 1998, Page 27

Blame Stalin

Sir: Paul Johnson is not quite fair to Eric Hobsbawm (And another thing, 10 Jan- uary). There is just a grain of truth in Hobs- bawm's contention that Britain owes its welfare state to Stalin. Fear of revolution — which after 1917 meant fear of bolshe- vism — has always been an important fac- tor in persuading Britain's governing class that the workers should have decent and secure lives. (Sincere compassion and Christian morality had something to do with it too, but let that pass.) But fear of bolshevism also induced wealthy and pow- erful Germans to back Hitler. So to the extent that we should thank Stalin for the NHS we are at least as entitled to blame him for all the crimes of the Nazis.

David Watkins

79 Pendyrys House, Mortimer Road, Pontcanna, Cardiff