AS a member of the Labour Party, I believe the Blair "reform" agenda has gone too far and is positioning the party outside its historic boundaries.

Both in domestic and in European terms, Blair is committing the Labour Party to an economic model that sees private business interests as the sole engine for prosperity.

He cites the American economy as the model to follow, and its employment practices as the example for Europe to copy, claiming that higher productivity is the result of more liberal labour markets.

This is consistent with his policy of more private involvement in our public services. In defence of this, he points to Britain having the world's fourth largest economy and a set of "good" economic indicators on employment, inflation and fiscal health.

If the price for economic success in his terms means effectively tearing up the European Social Charter with its guarantees for workers' protection, it begs the question - what is an economy for? Is it a game for capitalists to play with each other or is it a tool for providing for human need and fulfilment?

The European economies tend to base their belief on the latter, hence the expression used of them as the European Social Model. It is not the function of the historic Labour Party to try to destroy this.

However, if it comes to identify with those forces opposed to the European Social Model, then it becomes just another party of the right, leaving British politics without any socialist or social democratic representation in Parliament.

Or is that the real agenda?

PETER NIELSEN,

Worcester.