LAST week's announcement of a change in Tory personnel is not enough. Michael Howard's personal unpopularity is a convenient excuse for Tories unwilling to face up to the reality of their party's failings, but it is not the reason the Tories have been so decisively rejected by the electorate. For that the Tories need to look at policies. The Tories have opposed every significant piece of Labour's programme, including the New Deal, the windfall tax, the Comprehensive Spending Review and the increase in spending on public services, the minimum wage and the working families tax credit.
These are basic mistakes made by William Hague and reflect the party's inability to move away from the far right of British politics. Throwing individual crew members overboard will solve nothing if the ship is still careering towards the rocks.
Akhtar Zaman
Mayor Street, Bolton
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