6 JUNE 1987, Page 34

Hung Parliament

Sir: I made clear to your reporter (Tolling the pundits', 30 May), not once but twice, that my prediction (Conservatives first but short of 326, Labour second) did not entail the Alliance's holding the balance, which could equally well be held by assorted members for Northern Ireland and from the Scottish and Welsh nationalist parties. Alan Watkins

The Observer,

8 St Andrew's Hill, London EC4