SIR: I am glad to hear Tom Sackville admit that the Labour Party has been right about the economy, the link between crime and unemployment and the under-funding in our schools that means too few children are staying on to take 'A' levels or going on to higher education.

I would have been happier if he had addressed his comments to the people of Bolton so we could have questioned why he has defected from Tory Party philosophy and endorsed Labour Party thinking.

The people of Bolton need to know just where Tom stands now and the effect his comments will have on the future policies in the Tory Party.

From the printed comments I have seen, Tom indicates that he believes his government has had education policy wrong for at least the last 15 years and the economy has been unsuccessful during many years, even during the Thatcher revolution.

The only question now for Tom Sackville is, how long can he survive as a Tory minister, and the candidate for Bolton West, when he is so at odds with the leadership of his party?

Andrew Page

Manorfield Close, Heaton

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