SIR – Unlike Philip Bird and Mubarik Iqbal (Letters, March 19), I do not mourn the passing of Anthony Wedgwood Benn aka Lord Stansgate.

He was a pompous, self-opinionated poseur who in his way did as much to ruin the life chances of the working poor as Margaret Thatcher.

Coming from a comfortable middle-class family, he would have had no idea what it was like to endure substandard housing, inadequate diet and meagre wages.

Instead of campaigning on these injustices, he spoke at great length about socialist principles which served only to alarm the electorate to the point where Labour was kept out of office for 16 years.

During that time, our nationalised industries were privatised, the coal industry destroyed and every aspect of the welfare state squeezed to near destruction.

As we have subsequently found to our cost, the only real beneficiaries have been the fat cats in the City of London and other financiers who are making fortunes from overcharging on essentials like gas, water, electricity and transport.

Some legacy!

Brian Holmans, Langley Road, Bingley