Letter: Antibiotic fears

MARIE WOOLF claims that the Lib Dems have taken the toughest stance of any political party on GM. Has she forgotten about the Green Party?

Consider the Lib Dem voting record in the European Parliament. They voted to exclude from labelling cooking oils made from GM soya and maize, and voted against GM labelling for all parts of the food chain. This mess of labelling - where some GM materials have to be labelled and others do not - is making life extremely difficult for school caterers trying to prevent exposure of their children to GM foods.

It is Greens, here and elsewhere in Europe, who have been taking the initiative in calling for a ban of antibiotic-resistant genes and genetic pollution caused by cross-breeding of transgenic crops. In addition, the scheme to introduce mandatory liability insurance originated from the Green Group of European MEPs. We welcome the support of Lib Dems and others in such initiatives, but let us be clear that they are, in fact, following in the footsteps of the Greens.

DAVID CROMWELL

Green Party, Southampton