27 MARCH 1993, Page 26

Sir: Paul Johnson gets himself into a worry- ing lather

— is he getting better, by the way? — about the part played by Andreas Whittam Smith, the editor of the daily Independent, in the John Birt affair.

Two points. One, Andreas is not my 'moral tutor', a frightening thought for both me and him. Two, the first he knew of our exclusive on John Birt's tax arrangements was when he took delivery of his Indepen- dent on Sunday at home in Notting Hill on Sunday morning, 28 February.

So I'm afraid Mr Johnson's 'Joe McCarthy Prize for Services to Smear, Innuendo, Humbug' etc., should be put in the post to me.

Ian Tack

Editor, The Independent on Sunday, 40 City Road, London EC1