In his letter, John Short writes that I criticise the UKIP's policies but do not explain the Green Party's.

Well I certainly criticise the UKIP's anti-working-person, über-austerity policies such as doing away with the working hours directive, maternity and paternity leave, abolishing industrial tribunals and the health and safety laws which prevent another mesothelioma scandal.

I will not go into the Green Party policies here, as we will, in the next couple of weeks, have a launch event to introduce our general election candidates and explain our policies, and I don't want to dilute their impact. Maybe John would like to come as my guest to find out first-hand what we stand for.

UKIP is an anti-immigration and anti-EU party and has dragged the other parties along on their coat tails in a wishy-washy way.

No doubt this is what John means by them patronising working people.

The Green Party is a pro EU party and supports the free movement of EU citizens (pro EU migration). We state this clearly and unequivocally and believe around half of the electorate agree. We patronise nobody.

I have, through these letter pages many times, supported a referendum on EU membership to be held as soon as possible – not in several years time, as this is destabilising. I am pleased to say that my party has this as a policy. We hold this view not because of any outcome of a referendum, but because of a deeply held belief in democracy.

Steve Thompson Norman Road Swindon