Sir – In 45 years of active interest in politics I have grudgingly endured the takeover of our political lives by the American-run Thatcher/Blair/Tory/New Labour mindset – but nothing quite prepared me for Derek Baddeley’s absurd assertion.

To seriously assert that the current global financial meltdown is nothing to do with the USA and all Gordon Brown’s fault takes political and economic spin to new depths of fantasy and political dishonesty.

Even the Americans themselves wouldn’t swallow that tripe, Mr Baddeley – and they have been running Britain and the Tory/New Labour party for years!

JIM EVANS,

Worcester.