RECENT correspondence to HAS has castigated Margaret Thatcher for adopting policies that decimated UK manufacturing in favour of a service-based economy (HAS, June 20). They are wrong to do so.

During the Thatcher years the percentage of gross domestic product contributed by manufacturing fell from 25.8 per cent to 22.5 per cent. During the 13 years of Labour misrule it fell from 20 per cent to 12.4 per cent.

DW Lacey, Durham.