Letter: Trust overcame men's differences

Sir: I was chairman of the meeting described in Neil Lyndon's article "Man to man" (20 January). Mr Lyndon is correct to point to the ideological divisions within the group - the libertarians vs the moralists, to name but one - but that is the very reason why the meeting was significant and why I regarded it as a success.

Actions by men to protect the legitimate interests of themselves and their children have, in the past, tended to be weak and fragmented and attempts to forge sustained alliances have tended to fail through ideological divides. This was why I deliberately chose to avoid discussion of ideology, which Mr Lyndon saw as a deficiency. This was a large meeting of seasoned activists from many disparate groups and the fact that we managed to develop a co-operative campaigning strategy in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect without a single serious dispute forming was, to my mind, quite an achievement.

Dr JOHN CAMPION

Director, The Cheltenham Group

Midhurst, West Sussex