Conservative policies
From Miss B. Thomas Sir: Ever since their February defeat, Tory politicians and journalists have been agonising about the formulation of a credible and attractive policy for the Party.
They argue the toss about industrial relations, prices and incomes, 'who rules the country' and acceptable degrees of government intervention, and they seem to get nowhere. Has it dawned on nobody yet that just two simple steps would practically guarantee their success at the polls? All they have to do is to get rid of Mr Heath and to agree that a binding referendum will be held on the issue of the Common Market — without delay and with equal publicity for both sides of the argument.
Mr Heath is no doubt an honest, intelligent and hard-working man, but, as the leader of the Tory Party he is a disaster: he is too abrasive, too opinionated and too lacking in the power to project warmth and conviction. Also, his fanatical Europeanism would make the second step difficult to take and highly suspect even if grudgingly taken.
Many of those at the top believe that the Market matter is settled and done with; even the Labour Party will very probably drag the re-negotiations out to put off the time for the electorate's decision until withdrawal becomes too costly and complicated. But, judging from conversations with all kinds of ordinary people, the issue is very far from settled.
The arbitrary way in which we were treated still rankles and sticks. in our gullets. Not only were our views not sought, but the very notion that ordinary people might have views worth considering was arrogantly discounted.
We do not want to create a precedent and start having referenda on every conceivable subject: internal mistakes can be subsequently corrected internally. But to quote the British Constitution as a reason for not having a referendum, when the issue concerned could result in the said Constitution's being changed out of all recognition, is, to say the least, an example of 'double-think' of the most devious kind!
Brenda Thomas Rushacre House, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
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