Unfair to Lady T
From Professor Antony Flew Sir: Bruce Anderson in his welcome to 'the Tories' revolutionary new educational policy' is unfair to Margaret Thatcher ('Passport to Eton', 24 April). Certainly 'she turned more grammar schools into comprehensives than any other education secretary', but in that office at that time her hands were tied by the parliamentary resolution introduced by Anthony Crosland, the Lenin of the comprehensive revolution.
Shortly after Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of the Conservative party she and Keith Joseph joined to found the Centre for Policy Studies as a pro-Conservative think tank. This Centre from its beginning had an education group, all of whose members shared the voucher ideal. When Sir Keith was appointed education secretary he tried but failed to persuade his Cabinet colleagues that the time was right, probably for the reasons given by Bruce Anderson for thinking that the time is still not ripe.
Antony Flew
Reading, Berkshire
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