Disunited
Sir: It really is high time that the establishment figures of the past so-called Conservative government stood down in the interests of a united concept of a kingdom, rather than carrying on the shambles arising from the results of Mr Heath and his close asso ciates. These people excel at kicking the ball into their own goal, and then sacking the goalkeepers.
As a result of Mr Whitelaw's advice in Northern Ireland, where there is no Conservative Party, and where Tory political organisations are instead termed 'Unionist' so as to indicate their prime policy, the whole party was disrupted, and a number of leading and very able Tory ministers' careers were ruined and the devolved Assembly abrogated, amidst high level ministerial talks with armed wanted terrorists. And in the end a general election was lost for want of four Ulster MPs!
Now in Scotland another Unionist Party is in the process of being disrupted by the same people in the same way--i.e. by insistence upon an impossible policy of being all things to all men. As in Ulster, in Scotland there is no such thing as a 'Conservative': either one is a Unionist or one is not.
To go ahead with a half-cock Assembly whilst denying the same to Ulster, which has confirmed its unionist majority, without first ascertaining the prerequisite firm ground for devolution is an idiocy—particularly when the Tory Unionist Party is thereby split down the middle as to whether it is better to face the devil or the sea with no knowledge whether their boat is seaworthy.
Will Mr Whitelaw, if his policy proceeds to a conclusion, withdraw the Conservative whip from those Scots Tory MPs who disagree with his dis-unionist proposals, as he and Mr Heath did to those Tory MPs from Ulster who could not possibly have retained their seats if they had agreed to the Sunningdale proposals which involved powersharing with the Southern Irish government ? If so, he will lose yet another election.
Our current Tory devolution expert, having shattered one unionist party, and split another one nearly down its middle, may be surely trusted to make a hash of the English Unionist i.e. Conservative Party once he starts dibbling with it. The latter will be inevitable if the progressive economic socialist Tory programme for 'reform' was adopted by those who keep favouring state control of the economy, and who push that group by using it as their platform.
In the interests of a united concept of a kingdom, therefore, besides effective economic management of national affairs, let the Conservative Party replace the exr experts before they do any more damage to the cause!
David Pilleau Oak Tree House, Old Green Lane, Camberley
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