INSTEAD of sniping at the Greens in the press, can failed local councillor and New-Labour patsy Newman Thompson concentrate on more important matters closer to home?

As someone who presumably in his youthful, idealistic past actually cared about social injustice enough to join a radical party, he must surely feel some disquiet at the emerging policies of his reactionary political bedfellows.

Labour is dead, its principals shattered and now we have an odious, opportunist faction of free marketeers who are planning to bring in sweeping changes that Margaret Thatcher could only envisage in her wildest Friedman fantasies.

Like George Orwell's pigs in Animal Farm they are drunk on power, morally bankrupt and can no longer be distinguished from the corporate business elite.

The civility of a society is best measured by its capacity to care for its most vulnerable citizens and, despite record capital revenues, Tony Blair's big idea is to bring in private companies to run our schools and hospitals.

Great news for shareholders, terrible news for the 'unfortunates' reliant on public services.

Do you support the privatisation of the welfare state Mr Newman Thompson?

It's revealing that you should accuse the Greens of being "fanatics" because they have the courage of their convictions.

The Labour Party surrendered its convictions many years ago.

And, like the majority of New Labour's automatons, you haven't the courage to say or do anything about it.

Mr Gummidge

(via e-mail)