SIR – Well done to your correspondent Mr Bird, you now accept there are no true socialist political parties. You are now showing an understanding of political realism.

I did not attempt to show you the meaning of socialism in a small letter, this is impossible and requires volumes of reading, and years of understanding.

I gave a very simple analysis of socialism in our everyday life, in which society cannot exist without it. A good example is the NHS. We are all bound together, ie socialising, to protect it. I think you may now understand this.

You ask me to explain in a few words, what exactly is meant by ‘working class’. This is an imaginable concept for economic and social purposes, and not an established physical institution.

As regards the minimum wage, this was forced upon the capitalist system (which you cheerfully support) by well-meaning socialist individuals (not parties).

I am glad you are showing some enlightenment, from which you will benefit and come back in a few years with a tangible argument, and not nebulous and pointless banter and end this ridiculous correspondence which I stupidly got myself involved with.

P Raistrick, Westgate, Eccleshill