Sir: Lord Tebbit used to have a sense of humour
when he was my Member of Parlia- ment. He was also the least vain and pompous of men. Elevation to the House of Lords appears to have changed him for the worse: he not only wants to exile the court jesters (Matthew Parris in particular) but also implies that the 'most senior mem- bers of the court' need protection from them (Books, 7 June). To exile Parris would be like Lear without the Fool and Twelfth Night without Feste. Who would there be to ridicule the ridicu- lous and to puncture the over-inflated ego? (Voters can, and they have done it recently, but without Parris's wit and style.) I assume Lord Tebbit has not lost his greatest virtue — his consistency. If he per- sists in wanting the Fools exiled he will no doubt argue the same fate for the Bastards, who have no sense of humour and are dan- gerous to know. And if Lord Tebbit really believes that television trivialises everything why does he agree to appear on it so often — as interviewer as well as interviewee?
RI. Wells
191 Chingford Mount Road, London E4
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