Letter: Let's be truculent about Howarth

Sir: In her article "Defectors have only a walk-on part", Polly Toynbee attributes some quotes about the former Conservative MP Alan Howarth to me, which I did not make. I know this, because when I returned her call last week I took the precaution of recording it.

Ms Toynbee claims that Tribune has "gleefully hounded" Alan Howarth since he defected to the Labour Party, and that I "malevolently" said that there was a suspicion "that some old-timer" (her words not mine) would retire just before the election in order to make way for him.

In fact Tribune has not hounded Mr Howarth. Rather, it has simply reported the facts, as reported to us and as newspapers are supposed to do. Indeed, we sent Ms Toynbee a copy of all of the news pieces so that she could be in no doubt.

As for my supposed malevolence, nothing could be further from the truth. In response to Ms Toynbee's question "What do you have against Mr Howarth?", I said that I had nothing personal against him, and that there were many people who understood that his decision to defect had been a brave one. But I also pointed out that there were very many in the Labour Party who did not want Mr Howarth imposed as a candidate, and nor did they want to see the creation of a centre party where it frankly didn't matter where you came from or what you believed.

MARK SEDDON

Editor

Tribune

London WC1