I DO not make a habit of reading Julian Cole's column, having realised years ago that it is usually a left-wing rant.

Last week, he really plumbed the depths with his "dance on your grave" at Mrs Thatcher's expense (The Press, January 24). He has a history of venomous attacks on Mrs T and it is about time he realised that when she came to power it was very much the case of "cometh the hour, cometh the (wo)man".

After yet another long spell of Labour control, the country was coming apart at the seams and many despaired that we had a politician capable of the strong measures needed to put the Great back into Britain.

A hard task it was, but the lady did it - much to the chagrin of our lefties. She went on to fight and win two more elections, voted in by an electorate that recognised a leader when one appeared.

Much is made of the destruction of coal, not much is heard of the ambitions of certain leftist extremists hoping to win power through social breakdown, with the miners leading the way.

Mrs T saw them off and is held in high regard by many people, she certainly does not merit pairing up with the other two pictured in Julian's column, a druggy and a philanderess.

It is worth mentioning that we are hell bent down a similar path to the late 70s, this time with no sign of an emergent strong one to come to the rescue.

Not that it will cut much ice with Mr Cole. He is incapable of seeing where we are going, being blinded by leftist prejudice.

Charles Rushton, Pasture Close, Strensall, York.