LETTER PRESSED
NOT the least of the odd things about the letter from Miss Patricia Hewitt, Mr Kin- flock's press secretary, to Mr Frank Dob- son, the pro-Kinnock London MP, was that it appeared in the detested Sun. Mr Kinnock said this happened because of a leak, which he deplored. But he identified himself with the letter's sentiments. The essence of these was that 'the loony Left is taking its toll: the gays and lesbians issue is costing us dear among the pensioners'. Letters like that do not find their way into newspapers unless someone has a strong reason for wanting them to. The official Purpose of the letter seems to have been to thank Mr Dobson for taking on the job of making sure the 'loony Left' candidate, Mrs Deirdre Wood, did not throw away the Greenwich by-election. (He did his best.) But the document has about it the air of a personal statement on Mr Kin- nock's behalf. It is possible that the Kin- nock camp were not averse to its appearing in the Sun. What better way of reassuring all those allegedly offended pensioners that Neil can't stand gays and lesbians either? If so, the pensioners should not let him off lightly. In their advance towards the lead- ership of the Labour Party, Mr Kinnock, and such allies as Miss Hewitt, were happy to have the support of gays, lesbians, `loony' left-wings. Miss Hewitt's files will contain several declarations of fealty by Mr Kinnock to 'the gays and lesbians issue'. Now he is frightened. The letter is an example of the way in which, in order to become leaders of their parties, politicians store up trouble for themselves with the only people who have the power to make a party leader into a Prime Minister: the wider electorate. As to what is costing Labour dear with the pensioners, Miss Hewitt and Mr Kinnock may not even have got it entirely right. It is likely that the pensioners are just as worried about Labour defence policy — something which, despite Mr Callaghan's warnings, Mr Kin- nock will not alter. Not that the letter is brave enough to criticise London Labour's policies on gays and lesbians. It merely complains about the 'issue'. This suggests that it does not matter what the gays and lesbians do so long as they don't frighten the old folk. That is an unheroic posture for a Leader of the Opposition.
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