SIR: All interested in peace in Northern Ireland will be pleased with the Life Peerage given to Dr John Alderdice, leader of the non-sectarian Alliance Party.

The nomination came from the Liberal Democrats and it means that, for the first time, the moderate centre of Irish opinion will be heard at Westminster.

What a contrast to the nominations made by the other two political parties!

Dr Edmund Critchley

Merlin Road

Blackburn

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.