Letter: Tories past and present assess John Major's 'guilt'

Sir: Many of us in the Tory party are deeply concerned that there is this growing (at least reported) animosity towards John Major. I hope that the chairman will call together the backbenchers and tell them, in no uncertain words, that it must stop] Already the damage they have done to the party is enormous and many of them will undoubtedly lose their seats at the next election. The party is beginning to be held up to ridicule, such is the disunity among its members.

What they should all remember is that Mr Major inherited a terrible situation. The 'terrible Eighties', as they are more and more being called, were already in recession and on the downward spiral when he took over from Margaret Thatcher.

Public borrowing was in the millions and obviously going to rise. Discontent in the country was rife and headline banners flashed out 'Thatcher must go]', as go she did. A period of Mr Major's calming influence was badly needed and the party would be ill-advised to unseat a second Prime Minister. To adapt Lady Bracknell: 'To lose one PM is unfortunate, to lose two is downright

assassination]'

Yours sincerely,

MARGARET HOUGHTON

Langley, Berkshire

1 June