WOULD Mrs Yates (Letters, March 26), explain to me why she thinks that European issues don't divide along party lines, when all evidence both from local councillors like David Pearson and national politicians such as William Hague, who in his manifesto of 1997, a much more up to date one, said nothing about either opposition to Europe or opposition to the issue of a single currency.

What are people to think of that, for in her letter Mrs Yates implied that politicians are not human beings and can neither change their minds nor adapt to changing circumstances.

How dare this lady accuse me of being a socialist who has voted against Europe for years, in no letter written to the Telegraph have I ever made either of those statements.

I will tell you what political philosophy I hold Mrs Yates, just to put the record straight. First, I am a conservative on some issues, secondly, I am a liberal on others and thirdly, like the Prime Minister, I adopt the third way of flexibility when it is necessary.

DUNCAN McVEE, Robin Bank Road, Darwen.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.