YOUR correspondent Pamela Bottomley excels at spouting shallow political vitriol against the Government, but never appears to offer an alternative.

In a recent letter to the Echo, she sung the praises of an obscure Tory MEP who's only claim to fame was to be rude to the Prime Minister in the European Parliament. Her latest offering Call men in white to take Gordon and Co, Points of view, April 11 tells us everything about her inability to offer anything but angry words.

Perhaps it is time for Ms Bottomley to calm down and tell us what she actually stands for.

Does she, like the Tory MEP she is so fond of, believe that the NHS is a 60-year mistake from which we get "very bad results" and which has "made people iller" (I know that is not good English, but I'll make an allowance for the fact that the MEP in question was being educated when the Tories were in power). Perhaps she backs the Shadow Chancellor who wants to renege on pay deals with nurses, teachers and other key public sector workers in order to cut their pay? Or maybe she agrees with the Tory Shadow Justice Minister who believes that the current economic climate offers the Tories a good opportunity to bring back hunting with dogs?

How about it Ms Bottomley? Just for once, write a letter to the Echo with something constructive in it.

Stephen Thomas

Marlborough Road

St Leonards

(by email)

Exeter EX2 4LL