SIR – To David Hornsby and Mubarik Iqbal, Tony Benn seems to have been something of a saint.

But to do good, a saint has to work miracles which the blessed Tony conspicuously failed to do. This was left to Tony Blair, who was regarded by Benn and the likes of Hugh Scanlon, Jack Jones, Arthur Scargill, Derek Hatton and Ken Livingstone as little more than Maggie in trousers – but looking back to what he actually achieved shows just how wrong they were and are.

Messrs Hornsby and Iqbal should remember Thatcher called Nelson Mandela a terrorist and regularly entertained the Chilean dictator General Pinochet when he came to London. At the same time, one of her top advisers Lady Tessa Keswick said that a national minimum wage would put private residential care for the elderly beyond the reach of the middle classes.

Shortly after Mr Blair became Prime Minister, Mandela was freed, Pinochet arrested and the national minimum wage introduced. At the same time, legislation was introduced to reform the House of Lords, devolve power to Scotland and Wales and ban the hunting of foxes. And, most significantly, he ordered the restoration of trade union rights to workers at GCHQ.

Brian Holmans, Langley Road, Bingley