INSTEAD of berating Baroness Thatcher, J P Vernon (Letters, August 24) should be on his bended knee paying homage to someone who had the guts to take the bull by the horns and save this country from becoming a banana republic that Labour was hell bent on creating.

If the socialists had had their way, there would be nothing to sell because it would have all been in hock to the International Monetary Fund.

As for the many made redundant, the majority who had their time in were quite happy with their lump sums and pensions.

In fact, in many instances, they were queuing up because the terms were so generous. Mr Vernon should look at the amounts of money that the leisure industry is awash with. Then he would appreciate that people are doing all right in general.

As for the lost jobs in the privatised conglomerates, it is obvious that he has not heard of modernisation and progress. This is happening everywhere around the world.

Is it Mr Vernon's position that if a firm invests in better technology, it should pay people for doing nothing?

WALT MEADOWS (Mr), Whalley New Road, Blackburn

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