The Editor, Sir:

I am not a fan of your columnist Dawn Ritch, but her last Sunday's offering taking our Finance Minister, yet again, to task, was spot on.

I agree totally with her about his rushing to what may well turn out to be a very bad decision, by giving the Heathrow slot to the hurry-come-up Branson Airlines known as Virgin Atlantic, over the bid by the tried and tested British Airways, which has 60 years associated with Jamaica.

We may all live to regret it as the Bahamians are even now regretting their earlier links with dear Richard, who left them in the lurch after only 18 months of operation. Trinidad and the old BWIA clearly knew better when they rejected business bids for the Bee Wee route to London.

Wasn't Minister Davies aware of the 'genetic connections' between a segment of Virgin and certain interests in Jamaica with apparent prayerful wishes for the demise of Air Jamaica? And why weren't the negotiations for that slot allowed to take place between airlines rather than with the Finance Minister receiving private telephone calls from one of the bidders? That bidder was to further announce to the Jamaican people the outcome of the deal in defiance of the proper channels that would involve the Cabinet of this country, the Prime Minister and the Joint Select Committee of Parliament. Ms. Ritch quite rightly backs MP Mike Henry, whose recent cavorting (reparations and insults to the visiting British Deputy PM) she has happily not endorsed.

I am, etc.,

WILLIAM TURNER

P.O. Box 420

Constant Spring