MOST people's memories lapse at times, but that is different from what appears to be confusion on the part of Dave Heaton in his attack on Margaret Thatcher (Letters, September 20).

During most of Baroness Thatcher's highly successful premiership, Nelson Mandela was languishing in jail as a prisoner by choice.

All he had to do to obtain his freedom was to renounce violence as a means of obtaining a political solution. He steadfastly refused.

It is not uncommon for politicians of all shades and other leading figures to attend receptions for visiting heads of state, regardless of the individual's background - past examples being those for people who belonged to terrorist organisations such as Mau Mau, Eoka and the Stern Gang.

How the hypocrisy of the Labour Party can be related to South Africa in this instance beggars belief.

WALT MEADOWS, Whalley New Road, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.