7 AUGUST 1999, Page 24

Too bad about Straw

From Mr Robert Triggs Sir: With the greatest respect to the schol- arly and septuagenarian Paul Johnson (And another thing, 24 July), I thought his ven- omous hatchet-job on the Home Secretary Jack Straw was grossly unfair and strangely out of character.

In two lengthy paragraphs, he described Straw as 'ugly . . . conceited . . . dim, . . . cunning . . . obstinate . . . bigoted, . . self-righteous . . devoid of common humanity . . . envious . . . bossy . . incom- petent . scrawny . . insignificant and . rabbity'.

All right, Jack Straw may not be Beau Brummell: since when have we required government ministers to be handsome?

Robert Trixs

81 Gilling Court, London NW3