Why sneer at Greens for a democratic decision?

I READ the diatribe against the Green Party by your columnist Seán Moncrieff (January 23) with a mixture of anger and incredulity.

As a Green member in Dublin, I totally reject his assertions, as would the vast majority members who were at the well-attended and impressive conference on the EU Reform Treaty last Saturday week.

I do not recognise the picture of the party as painted by Mr Moncrieff. It bears no resemblance to the party I joined and I don’t know how he could possibly arrive at it.

One thing that stands out in his column is his barely concealed contempt for democracy.

How come that in recent opinion polls, the Greens are the only party to have actually gone up? We must be doing something right.

As for the assertion that the Greens are puritanical, this is too absurd to warrant comment. Mr Moncrieff may think it is smart to sneer at the party, but as a Green I do not want any lectures from him.

Yes, the Green Party also has its faults, but I would describe the outcome of the EU Reform Treaty conference as a fair compromise.

As a result, members are free to campaign and vote on both sides of the argument, as they see fit, and our ministers can campaign on the Yes side as they will. That is democracy in action.

It is not easy when you are a small party in coalition, but I believe a considerable amount is being achieved, particularly on the increasingly important issue of climate change.

It’s a pity that some commentators are trying to undermine their efforts.

Victor F McKeever

Churchtown

Dublin 14