Sir, Martin Samuel is wrong to lay the blame for the decline of small shops entirely on local councillors (Comment, Jan 3).



Small shops were doomed as soon as Edward Heath, as Secretary of State for Industry, abolished resale price maintenance in 1964, a system which had discouraged aggressive discounting.

As Conservatives of the same era further encouraged car ownership by building motorways (under Ernest Marples) and closing branch railways (on the advice of Dr Richard Beeching) the responsibility for the system of shopping at supermarkets by car really lies with past ministers for making changes which had more far-reaching consequences than they considered.

D. B. C. REED
Northampton

Sir, Martin Samuel says that “local councillors from the London Borough of Newham stood in street markets handing out leafletsâ€