4 DECEMBER 2004, Page 35

An ousted PM

From Ian Cochrane Sir: Danny Kruger (Diary, 20 November) states that as far as he knows 'no prime minister has ever lost his seat while in office'. Prime Minister J.C. Smuts lost the Standerton constituency in the 1948 general elections when the United party was defeated by the Nationalist party.

Ian Cochrane

Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa