"Double-dealing, deceitful, incompetent, shallow, inefficient ineffective, corrupt, mendacious, fraudulent, shameful".

These are the words of Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith referring to the Blair administration at last week's Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool.

Now that IDS finds himself having to explain away a little case of nepotism one wonders whether the Tory Party is involved in the making of Death Wish III.

Unless Tory MPs can think of an alternative to IDS then the electorate will conclude that there is no alternative but another term of Blair.

Richard Lamb,

Greystoke Road,

York.

Updated: 11:19 Saturday, October 18, 2003