I see that county council leader Keith Mitchell is confused about the difference between the Green and Labour groups (Oxford Mail, June 4).

Perhaps an outline of a few of the distinctions would be useful to him.

The Labour Party:

Began and maintains a brutal and stupid war on false pretences

Spends a large and increasing amount of taxpayers' money on wasteful privatisations and PFIs

Has undermined the principle of free health care through the transfer to county councils of large areas of nursing care (so-called social care), which are then charged for

Has allowed the value of both state and private pensions to plummet

Has failed to seriously tackle climate change.

On all these issues, and many more, the Greens are opposed to Labour.

I hope there is enough here to explain why the Green vote increased in the recent county council elections while Labour's fell.

It is noticeable that Mr Mitchell's Conservative Party has far more in common with New Labour than the Greens have with either of them.

LARRY SANDERS

Leader, Green Party Group, Oxfordshire County Council