Miners and the election
Sir: The Financial Times's 'Men and Matters' column of February 13 raised the question of Where the idea of the industrialists' scheme to buy off the miners originated. As early as January 4, Sir Gilbert Debenham advanced a proposal in the correspondence columns of the Times suggesting that the million or so better-off members of society should subscribe to a fund to .give the miners the extra money they want for a year over and above the present offer. I suspected then that the NUM would be unable to accept and thought such an appeal ought not to be restricted to the better-off but be widened out to address itself to all sections of the community. The Times, felt unable to publish my suggestion when I advanced it in a letter dated January 6. So did the Financial Times when I outlined it in a letter of January 17. I still feel it would have been worthwhile to have had a discussion, at least, at that time on whether an appeal to the country should not consist in launching a collection fund for the miners rather than in having an election called which would be largely irrelevant. However the country is landed with that election now, and one can only hope that the campaign will get away from what is a sham issue in this context and that it will be broadened successfully to cover the real causes for the pitiful state this country is in, above all the insane and obscene obsession with the Common Market which has drained and will continue to drain the economic and political lifeblood of this nation away. and which therefore amounts.t° treason in the deepest sense, quite unforgiveable, especially if the nation finds itself once more and finally deceived during the present. campaign.milCottage, .W. F. Barazettl
The Dell, Hornchurch.
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