Delors’ disciple

David Stevenson (“Thatcher admirer”, Letters, 30 January) either wilfully misunderstands me, or I am being too subtle for him. I was not praising Mrs Thatcher for introducing the European Social Agenda to the UK – it was Tony Blair who achieved that – I was pointing out that it was her hostility to the Social Chapter (she called it “Socialism by the back door”) that converted many electors in the UK to support the European Union.

The vigorous implementation of the Social Chapter by Jacques Delors was the final blow to Thatcher and a huge boost to the popularity of the EU among working people.

David Martin MEP

Roslin, Midlothian