“It is quite the wrong way to promote our interests in this important region of the world and the sooner we are seen to have relearned how to engage with Arabs the better.” Last night Mr Day confirmed he had sent the letter and told The Daily Telegraph: “I decided to write it because I was impressed by the Government’s response to the current unrest in the Arab world, and in particular their response to the uprising in Tunisia, and I was worried that that might be tarnished by the Duke’s activities. I have not had a response yet from any of the departments the letter was sent to.”