17 JANUARY 1998, page 27

Lowering The Tone

Sir: I enjoy my Spectator and I am not going to cancel my subscription; I am not at all politically correct and I really don't give a LETTERS damn. But are you keeping an eye on......

Blame Stalin

Sir: Paul Johnson is not quite fair to Eric Hobsbawm (And another thing, 10 Jan- uary). There is just a grain of truth in Hobs- bawm's contention that Britain owes its welfare......

Unhappy Families

Sir: If Sion Simon is a woman, then I can understand her expressed doubts about the superiority of a dual over a single- parent family: most women journalists take that view......

Sir: Your 10 January Issue's Column, 'high Life', Though...

the byline, 'raid' appears to have been written by the come- dian, Mr Bernard Manning. Perhaps you could reinstate the column Tow life' and invite his colleague, Mr Roy 'Chubby'......

Holy Of Holies

Sir: Daniel Pipes's warning against accept- ing Jerusalem as being as sacred to Muslims as it is to Jews (Not so holy city', 22 November) has only just reached Cairo, but is......