Firmer ground
Sir: The easy and slightly glib final sentence of John Horam's article (7 March) on Social Democracy suggesting that the Liberals and Social Democrats are 'the best hope in British politics today' did not logically follow from the argument he had put forward on the rest of the page.
Mr Horam believes that 'Tony Crosland was wrong' because he failed to realise that the social democratic premise of economic growth had been undermined. Quite so. He believes that the NEB, planning agreements and large-scale nationalisation are 'economic tosh'. He calls for 'understanding more fully the role of the market'.
He wants decentralisation to break up bureaucracies and restore local initiative'. He wants to see people put in the position 'to help themselves rather than forever enlarging state welfare'. Mr Horam has left the Labour Party and now seeks to revise Social Democracy. With great respect to him though, he need look no further for firm ground upon which to pitch his tent. He is a Conserva• • tive.
Mark Bishop 40 Chepstow Place London W2
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