Red carpet, lush lunches - Prime Minister Blair has a lot to answer for. Fancy trying to sort out Russia's problems when he can't organise the many groups of people here in his own country!

He shows an appalling lack of humanity towards the poorer families (only 75p more for pensioners) and has left it far too late before giving much-needed financial help to the NHS. Then there's the ailing coal industry and car companies etc.

It's a pity his youth gets in the way of the real problems in this country. If he had been older, and perhaps wiser, he might have dealt with circumstances somewhat better than he is doing.

I wonder who will be next for the red carpet treatment?

Barbara Wright,

The Bungalows,

Manor Road,

Easingwold, York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.