Correspondence

We welcome feedback, especially (thoughtful) vitriolic replies and sycophantic praise. However -- due to demand -- letters over 300 words will not be considered and those via email (or PC disk) are particularly welcome. To send a letter please use the write to LLB page.

The October LLB article on the MAI (New drive for the MAI) was both welcome and important. Details of the proposed treaty were leaked some months ago. Since then the US magazine Z has devoted three valuable articles (two by Noam Chomsky) that outline the threat to democracy that the MAI poses. Interested readers can access these articles on the internet at http://www.zmag.org.

Adrian Kozlowski, Birmingham

LLB's Conference fringe meeting celebrating the success of the much-maligned Liz Davies and her Grassroots comrades, was both euphoric and responsibly constructive and your October magazine has articles on many vital topics.

I suggest, however, that the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy has listed two incompatible policies in its three target issues at Party Conference (Blackpool - our priorities). Pete Willsman stresses "the right of CLPs to select the parliamentary candidate of their choice", yet urges the reintroduction of "mandatory women-only shortlists"! In other words, CLPD objects to limiting choice to a Millbank-approved list, yet wishes to limit choice to its own approved list comprising all female Party members.

My first Parliamentary selection vote was cast for a woman in 1948 and I'm all for choosing the female if other things are equal - but they seldom are. We should seek PPCs who excel in candidateship and who, when elected, will strive for just and righteous laws. Their shape is no more relevant than their colour.

Cllr. Frank McManus, Todmorden

I currently work for ICI. In recent years it has been badly mismanaged but the results cleverly hidden. ICI is leaving Wilton and Runcorn yet the media have not picked up the fact. Worse still they are applying pressure on staff, who do not know exactly what is happening. It is time the situation was made public.

Ian Taylor, Middlesbrough

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