SIR – How I agree with Mike Pollard (T&A, October 21). Throughout the history of this country, when disaster threatened, there has always been someone who was born to step into the breach and safeguard its future.

During my lifetime I have witnessed the late King George VI succeed his brother, who was unfit for kingship. In the Second World War, Winston Churchill, despite some human errors, was the leader this country needed in our time of peril. When the militant trade unions threatened to destroy our country’s democracy, it fell to Margaret Thatcher to provide the strong leadership we once again needed.

Now in my eighties, living in a country plunged into bankruptcy by another inept Labour Government, I am witnessing the slow but gradual economic recovery of our once proud nation. David Cameron and George Osborne have emerged as the leaders this country once again needs.

Theirs will be an unpopular and difficult task but anyone who has experienced the misery of a world war will know that you learn to adapt to your circumstances and going without and existing on basic essentials become second nature.

The biggest threats to our recovery are the European Union and the Human Rights Act. Until we cease to be dictated to by Brussels and regain our independence, we cannot hope to regain the worldwide respect that I remember, or remain a sovereign nation.

Mrs R Robinson, Lister Lane, Bradford