Hidden behind Smith
Sir: Matthew Parris (Another Voice, 14 February) correctly emphasised the cyclical pattern of economic markets in an optimistic tone that heralded a future recovery. As is almost always the case, writers from Adam Smith onwards are given the credit for the exposition of market theory.
However, it was Josiah Tucker (1713-1799), an Oxford-educated cleric, who first articulated such principles in his A brief essay on the advantages and disadvantages, which respectively attend France and Great Britain, published in 1749. Although Tucker firmly advocated free trade, he recommended prudent intervention by government in terms of legislation designed to ensure effective commerce for the benefit of society. It is known that Adam Smith owned a copy of A Brief Essay.
Professor Bleddyn Jones
Oxford
Unfair comparison
Sir: David Cameron is not the first politician to be compared to Flashman (‘Two years of recession’, 14 February). I remember George MacDonald Fraser strongly disagreeing when someone compared Tony Blair to him.
As a Flashman fanatic, I too take exception to his memory being defamed by association with politicians. Flashman had style and believed politicians to be beneath contempt. He once considered entering politics, in Flash for Freedom, and mused that while he had the necessary qualities for a political career, he’d ‘never been given to interfering in other folks’ affairs, so I suppose that would have disqualified me’.
Mark Taha
London SE26
Role of the bankruptcy law
Sir: I was interested to see Ross Clark’s use of my BERR-funded research in his article on bankruptcy (‘A formula for fecklessness’, 14 February). The research was originally published in January 2006. At the time of publication and in my subsequent oral evidence to the Scottish Parliament on the effects of the Enterprise Act 2002 and the reduction in the automatic discharge period for bankrupts from three years to one year, I disagreed with Mr Clark’s central contention, namely, that English and Welsh bankruptcy law is unduly lenient.
Mr Clark is, in effect, advocating the abolition of the concept of discharge and therefore a return to English bankruptcy law and policy that predates the Act to Prevent Frauds Frequently Committed by Bankrupts 1705, which introduced the concept of bankruptcy discharge into English law. This same statute also introduced corporal punishment for criminal bankrupts, leading to seven people being hung for bankruptcy offences.
The recent upsurge in redress to the bankruptcy laws in England, as well as Scotland, which followed our lead with a reduction in the discharge period, is, however, concerning for policy-makers. I would argue that it is not necessarily fecklessness on the part of debtors that has driven the recent increase but rather the banks’ irresponsible lending practices during the past three years. The bankruptcy law is, in fact, performing its proper function, namely as a relief and rehabilitation mechanism for over-indebted individuals who have no realistic ability to repay.
John Tribe
Kingston Law School, Kingston University, Surrey
Chewing it over
Sir: I have recently attended debates at the British Museum and the Royal Geographical Society where Rod Liddle has been a speaker. On both occasions he spoke with chewing gum in his mouth — urgh. Who’s he (Liddle Britain, 14 February) calling an überchav?
Janis Shillito
Via email
Enough gassing
Sir: Neil Barnett rightly highlights (‘We don’t need this annual outburst of pipeline politics’, 7 February) that the Kremlin wants Western Europe to be dependent on Russian gas. However, it needs to be pointed out that Britain, in particular, has actually exacerbated its own overdependence on the use of gas to generate electricity over the last 12 years.
Since 1997 the government has approved over 30GW of gas-fired power stations (CCGTs). It has not approved any other kind of base-load power plant such as coal or nuclear. At present 90 per cent of all ongoing and proposed power station construction in the UK is to be gas-fired. Only last week the government approved two new large gas-fired plants at Pembroke and King’s Lynn. These government policies have made us more, not less, dependent on gas imports in the medium to long term. Britain will need to import 80 per cent of the gas it needs by 2020.
There should be three policy priorities to broaden our energy sources and avoid a future overdependence on Russian gas. First, support Turkey in her bid to join the EU, guaranteeing that the Nabucco pipeline, which brings non-Russian gas from the Caspian, will be brought online. Second, strengthen relations with Libya, which is relatively close to home and enjoys huge liquefied natural gas potential. Finally, quickly approve new cleaner coal domestic plants such as Kingsnorth, which is still awaiting government approval.
Tony Lodge
Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Studies
London SW1
Catholic taste
Sir: Peter Phillips (Arts, 14 February) correctly listed the music which greeted the Pope on his recent visit to St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, but he was wrong to say that this music was chosen by the Holy See. In fact the wonderful chant and polyphony performed that day was proposed by the Australian Catholic Church, led by the Revd Peter Williams and under the guidance of Cardinal Pell. It was accepted with alacrity by the Pope, who beamed his pleasure as he laid the relics of St Thomas à Beckett and Vietnamese and Korean martyrs under the newly consecrated altar. Good music has returned to the Catholic Church in Australia. Ad multos annos!
Noel James Debien
Director of Music, St Francis of Assisi
Sydney, Australia
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