Letter: Backing Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher's contribution included reversing the ever- increasing burden on the taxpayer of the nationalised industries established by the Atlee Labour government. Can it seriously be argued that we should continue to subsidise loss- making enterprises?

However, she also established the environment in which many new industries were created with the assistance of grants.

These included Fujitsu, NEC, Motorola, Nissan, Honda and Hyundai. Many millions of taxpayers' funds were provided in the way of assistance grants and some of these industries, including Nissan and Honda still survive to this day.

Unfortunately, due to the increase in cheaper, skilled labour in eastern Europe and China many have since gone elsewhere.

For George Kerevan (Opinion, 10 June) to accuse Thatcher of bequeathing a phoney culture is simply untrue.

It is all too easy to blame Thatcher for all the ills that have befallen since she stepped down. However, this is nave and contributes nothing to a genuine debate.

JOHN KELLY

High Street

Dalkeith, Midlothian