U-turn let slip

The news, "Darling blurts out U-turn on death tax", (your report, 30 March) is extremely interesting and worrying.

In the first instance the Chancellor seems to have commented on a death tax rather than the government's proposals for the care of the elderly. Secondly, he seems not to have stated that the government's proposals were to be withdrawn or modified but that he was going to do a U-turn.

Finally, he did not make a statement or announcement but blurted out the government's intentions.

I find the situation worrying. Politicians will have to realise that all this blurting can be very harmful both to themselves and to the public, especially when the item blurted is a U-turn.

I hope – in a phrase much beloved by politicians – that lessons will be learned and that we shall have no more of this blurting. Incidentally, is it possible to blurt in?

GRAHAM H SPEIRS

Dirleton Avenue

North Berwick