Disagree Richard. the Labour party has produced enlightened souls like Sydney Silverman - without whom we would be prepaing execution chambers like the Yanks.

Without Silverman we should have executed the Birmingham 6. Churchill said, grass grows over a battlefield, but not a scaffold. But he didn't do anything to improve the situation.

There has always been a patrician element in the Labour party based on respect for intellect.

The tories are rather embarassed by intellectuals - mainly cos theirs have really buggered them up - like keith Joseph, and his national curriculum - designed after never visiting a state school.

Poor old Thatch. very clever girl. spent eleven years posing as an idiot to please the silly hat brigade,