Martin Daly (Sunday Express, November 1) speaks of the dangers of religion-inspired politics. He says that ’it would seem to those politicians with God on their side that there is no need for meaningful democracy because the wishes of other people cannot trump the certainty of the religious revelation. Consequently, checks and balances on executive power are a nuisance and an impediment to implementation of the revelation.’

I share his concerns, more especially after having read In sickness and in power, David Owen’s remarkable book, which I commend to everyone, on the behaviour of heads of state and government.

Owen writes, for instance, that the accountability that seemed really to matter to Tony Blair was ’not to the electorate but to God.’ And he quotes George W Bush as telling a Palestinian Foreign Minister: ’I’m driven with a mission from God. He told me: ’George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.’ And I did. And he told me: ’George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq.’ And I did.’

Now we have a Prime Minister who says-in our secular Parliament, mind you, and without any apparent admonition by the Speaker-that he is ’drunk on God.’ At the same time, as we know, he is driving the Government. Think about what that combination could cause.

Owen goes on (do the sentiments apply to our Manning as well?): ’In the world of Bush and Blair, God is the force which drives the hero to challenge reality: hubris is not something to worry about and nemesis is no more than the bad luck all heroes are bound to encounter at some stage on their crusade through this vale of tears. They believe they will have their reward in heaven.’

Good for them. But what about the rest of us left behind on earth?

Reginald Dumas

Bacolet