I WAS surprised that Mel Stride (Benchmark, October 14) chose the horrors of international slavery for his topic, at this time when the biggest cuts since the depression of the 1920s have been announced by his party, and which, as the independent Institute of Fiscal Studies has said, will hit the poorer half of our population hardest.
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It reminded me of George Orwell's 1940s novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. There, an unscrupulous and abusive government used images of horrible things happening to people in other countries, to help keep its population passive about its own misfortunes.
Surely that can't be Mel Stride's purpose in focusing on overseas slavery this week? No indeed; that would be appalling. Maybe, though, he should be more careful.
Dr Peter Brickley
Fore Street
North Tawton