Letter: GM disaster

Sir: Arrogance will be the downfall of New Labour, as evidenced by the debate (or the lack of it) over genetically modified organisms. The spin-doctors are already at work setting out to confuse the issue, implying that if its safe to eat its safe to grow (and to hell with the rest of the environment).

Unless the Government wants to face an eventual political disaster it should widen the public debate now and recognise that in a democracy it is the public view that counts and not the commercial interests it seems to be paying more heed to.

If the Government wants to avoid an environmental disaster, then there is a very easy test. Our country's environment is already struggling and cannot bear to be degraded further. The question then simply becomes, "will genetically modified crops and organisms improve things or make them worse?"

Dr KEVIN MURPHY

Southampton