Letters to the Editor | 29 September 2007

Thank you for Peter Oborne’s ruthlessly accurate exposé of the Political Class (‘The Establishment is dead’, 15 September).

Established truths

Sir: Thank you for Peter Oborne’s ruthlessly accurate exposé of the Political Class (‘The Establishment is dead’, 15 September). The collateral damage caused by the killing of the Establishment can be distilled into just five words: the death of independent thought. This seems to apply to the populace as a whole as much as to politicians of all parties.  
Ten short years ago Frank Field, an intelligent and thoughtful man, was appointed minister of welfare reform in the Department of Social Security with a mandate from Tony Blair to ‘think the unthinkable’. In doing so, he clashed with Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer. His reward, less than a year later, was to be offered a sideways transfer whereupon he resigned, his integrity intact. He has not held a ministerial post since. Meanwhile, the very capable Kate Hoey was removed from her post as minister of sport for consistently voting with her conscience, most notably in the case of the iniquitous Hunting Bill.
In 1997, the Establishment might have been very sick, but it wasn’t quite dead. New Labour switched off the life-support machine. Today people who can, or dare, to think for themselves seem to be rarer than hens’ teeth. Our only hope is that they are still out there, quiet for the moment, but ready to make themselves heard if needs be.

Peta Seel
Nassiet, France

A cold climate

Sir: Charles Moore (The Spectator’s Notes, 22 September) works himself into a lather over the Mitford sisters, reeling in admiration at their ‘unique, fearless way of looking at things’ despite their lack of any formal education. Had they attended school and university, they might have met ordinary people and turned out less self-delusional and snobbish.