From Matthew Heaton Sir: After all the hoo-ha surrounding that
leading article (16 October), I did what I assume most people did not do and actually read it. I have not agreed more completely with a piece of journalism for a long time. It angers me, however, that your magazine and, in particular, your editor can he criticised so vehemently by people who have not even read the article. It is a shame that Michael Howard has descended into Blairesque gesture politics to fly to appease a certain section of the electorate, while at the same time ignoring the very relevant points raised in the piece.
British journalism's coverage of the Bigley affair was out of proportion; personally I find it more terrible that a young girl was gunned down in Nottingham than that a mercenary worker was kidnapped and, regrettably, murdered. Danielle Beccan had no option about where she lived, whereas Ken Bigley voluntarily put himself in danger. The reaction to the article is a sad reflection of our knee-jerk society that is not concerned with facts but wallows in selfpity and emotion; our country is turning into a live Jerry Springer show.
Matthew Heaton
London EC4
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