August 2.

Brian Meek lost little time in joining the media trashing of Tony

Blair (August 1). I suppose that is unsurprising -- it is amazing what

the prospect of a Labour victory does for the promotion of loyalty in

the current Tory ranks.

He does, however, pick a very strange battleground: education policy.

One might have thought that his party would maintain a decent (if

embarrassed) silence on that matter. The Tories' record on education,

along with the NHS, will be what puts John Major and the rest of his

mediocre crew out on the streets come the next election. If Brian Meek

and his colleagues have not woken up to that fact all the better for

Labour.

Your columnist also made a strange swipe at the Blairs' children

attending a Catholic school. Cherie Blair is a Catholic -- what is so

surprising about their attendance at their local school? I can imagine

most voters will find that much less odd than the current Cabinet and

its predecessors -- who set about the state system with a vengeance

while making sure that their children were safely ensconced in the

private sector.

I was reassured to see that the ever-so-Christian John Macleod has

also joined in (August 2). Tony Blair must keep up the good work -- if

that particularly odd couple are against him he is certainly doing

something right.

Brian Fitzpatrick,

9 Fotheringay Road,

Glasgow.