YET again the business section of The Herald decides to give huge favourable coverage (much text plus large picture on December 1) to the risible egotist David Stonebanks and his ''campaign'' to force Standard Life to demutualise.

This is the umpteenth time that The Herald has done this, despite the obvious fact that Stonebanks has no real knowledge of the insurance business. His efforts are just causing senior SL management to waste large amounts of time on an issue which should have been punted into the long grass for at least 10 years after the last carpet-bagger was repulsed.

Standard Life remains a very successful company in almost any league table of performance. If The Herald's business writers really believe that SL should be demutualised, then they should print a coherent, detailed, and signed article arguing that case.

Alan Lawson,

1 Albany Road,

West Ferry, Dundee.