IT HAS been said that Britain and the USA are two nations divided by a common language'. I would go further and say that Britain is one nation (or group of nations) divided by a common language.

This applies especially to the deliberately confusing letter from Ms Jacqueline Skinner (Citizen, last week) following my criticism of the Lancaster District Coalition Against the War and the Green Party.

We are treated in her letter to a classic exercise in the use of the straw man fallacy' in argument that is stating a position in the argument of the opponent which that person never took.

Where, in my letter, did I say that the Greens and others had no entitlement to hold a public meeting to discuss the foreign policies of Britain, the USA and their allies? I am the one who should be astonished', not her. But of course I am not surprised.

The first thing that the people who are now running' the coalition locally should do is be honest with each other, as I have been, and try to see themselves as others do especially working class people.

In my letter I was merely objecting to the Greens' claim that they don't use spin. One reason for this is that I have been spun' against by them myself.

Whatever people like Ms Skin-ner try to claim in their distorted imagery, the debate will expand regardless of how different pushy political groups try, often undemocratically, to appropriate the issues as if they alone own them.

There must be mutual respect and absolute openness towards people of all classes, sexes, ages, religions (and non-religions). Only in the trades union movement is that anything like guaranteed in this city.

S K Metcalfe, Lancaster.