5 SEPTEMBER 1998, Page 25

LETTERS Secret sympathies?

Sir: Despite being a committed Labour supporter all my adult life, I've been a read- er of The Spectator since I first went to uni- versity in 1974. Reading it on my Friday evening journey home from work is a high- light of my week.

It's fascinating to watch your reaction to the Labour Party now it's in power. You can't quite work it out, can you? I suspect that you secretly rather admire it, but can't quite bring yourself to admit it. From my point of view, the ruthlessness displayed by Mr Blair and his allies is what the party needs: I suspect it suited the Tories to have nice old buffers like Michael Foot in charge: well, those days are over.

Alexander Rae

15 Lydney Park, Nottingham