BARONESS Castle of Blackburn has condemned the decision by the Post Office to commemorate Muffin the Mule rather than William Morris on a new set of stamps as 'Philistine'.

She is furious that the centenary of the death of the famous Victorian designer and socialist had been overlooked in favour of a children's TV character.

The former Labour Cabinet Minister and Blackburn MP was told by Trade Minister Lord Fraser that it was not a straight choice between Morris and Muffin but that Sooty was going to be commemorated on postage stamps as well.

And outraged Baroness Castle told the House of Lords that the decision was "philistine" and former Battersea Labour MP Lord Dubs said it made Britain look "ridiculous" world-wide.

She asked Lord Fraser: "Do you not agree with me in deploring this philistine decision, which is all the more remarkable as we are approaching the millennium celebrations in which we are going to pay tribute to our great achievements in the field of arts and crafts?" She asked Lord Fraser to intervene and "call the Post Office to account and get it to reverse this absurd preference".

Even the Victoria and Albert Museum felt Morris's centenary was important enough to warrant a major exhibition, she added.

But Lord Fraser said it was the Post Office's commercial decision to commemorate 50 years of Children's TV rather than Morris.

He said 300 suggestions had been received.

Children's TV had been chosen partly to encourage children to become in interested in stamp collecting.

And he said that as well as Muffin the Mule other favourites such as Sooty, Stingray, the Clangers and what he had little doubt was Baroness Castle's favourite, Dangermouse, would be commemorated as well.

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