LETTERS : Briefly

You say "Britain has been the main beneficiary of 'the special relationship', particularly if you include America's decisive role in two world wars" ("Good friends, better friends", 1 June). Presumably by "decisive role" you mean money and weapons.

Joaquin Godoy, Bath

AS a campaigner in support of Roisin McAliskey, I applaud you for your article "It's not a crime..." (1 June). Whether it's a young Irish woman expecting a baby or a Scots lass seeking an abortion, the rights of women must be protected.

Jack Kennedy, London N5

IF privatisation was not meant to line pockets, why did Cecil Parkinson, the Tory minister responsible at the time, force the electricity industry to increase prices two years before privatisation, saying that it would make the shares more attractive to the City? (Letters, 1 May.)

W J Hyde,

West Malling, Kent

IF "dat", a dialectal form, is acceptable for "that", why not "whilst", which is neither dialectal nor, in the UK, archaic, for "while?" (Letters, 1 June.)

Judith Miles,

Marlborough, Wiltshire

I WAS delighted to see Cibreo, the Florentine trattoria, given its rightful homage (Review, 1 June). It is not your average posh restaurant. When I enthused to the waiter about the polenta, he returned from the kitchen with a packet as a gift.

Margery Nicholls

Malvern, Worcestershire