SIR: Peter Thurnham must be what is known educationally as a late developer. It has taken him 13 years at Westminster to ascertain the true nature of the Tory Party. He realised that the wheels have come off the Tory Government and the Liberal bandwagon is rolling. Better late than never, Peter, so welcome.

The BEN's pathetic leader (Time to resign ) is not surprising. As 'a responsible family newspaper' you naturally follow the Tory doctrine that once a man reaches Westminster, he becomes mere lobby fodder. To have a mind of one's own is just not on.

B W Tyas Cooper

Breckland Drive, Heaton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.