JOHN Blunt (LET, September 17) informs us that Kenneth Clarke, the ex Chancellor of the Exchequer, the man with the engaging chuckle and the Hush Puppies, earns his beer money by devoting two days a week to a part time boardroom job which pays him £120,000 a year.

Mr Clarke, a Tory heavyweight, made no effort to be elected leader of his party, and the Conservative MPs remaining after the General Election rout in May, elected the featherweight William Hague.

Now, this country has a weak Opposition in parliament, which is bad for democracy, whose leader is already being ridiculed by his own party because of recent gaffes.

However, it is early days yet. The approaching Tory conference should be interesting for us "oldies" who have the time to watch and listen.

Perhaps when the day for the leader's speech arrives, William will speak as well as he did when he was a lad, when Margaret Thatcher was convinced that the Tories had a future Prime Minister in their midst.

It will be amusing to observe their attempts to pull themselves out of the present shambles they have got themselves into.

C A BAKEWELL, St James' Road, Blackburn.

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