D E MARGRETT thinks my analysis of the Iraq war is inaccurate (Tuesday, June 21).

He points out that Bush is "the most right-wing president the USA has ever had."

In the perspective of American politics, Bush is not that right-wing. Bush may be very uncompromising on some issues (like Blair) but his "compassionate conservatism" is slowly bringing the republicans to the left, just as Blair brought Labour to the right of centre.

Bush has allowed and encouraged the development in the USA of huge, bloated and wasteful bureaucracy. He has used terrorism as an excuse to increase state control over its citizens. An extensive and interventionist agenda has never been a traditional part of American conservatism.

George Bush is a New Conservative, just as Blair is New Labour.

MATTHEW A CLARKE,

Worcester