I WOULD like to point out to Mr A Greenhalgh that there have been no real, honest-to-goodness socialists since the days of Clement Atlee and Aneurin Bevan. The two Eds along with numerous others who claim to have a socialist agenda are pseudo-socialists and are, in fact, going nowhere, nor do I believe they care. Twenty years ago, I had a quadruple bypass on the National Health Service.

It was either that or die and the chap whose place I took told the four surgeons that he had booked to go on holiday and would have his operation later. Did he really need an operation? I would also like to point out to Mr Greenhalgh just how grateful I was that somebody made the money available for my operation and ask him if he has had a bypass operation?

Walt Jackson, Usk