MARK Starr asks for my reply as to why the "Leader of our Group in the European Parliament" is stating that the French and Dutch must be asked to vote again on the proposed European Constitution. The simple answer is that he isn't.

The Constitution is dead. Even the Commission President has admitted it. Some countries still want to press ahead with their own votes, which is their decision. I and my Conservative colleagues are urging Tony Blair to let us have our say too, so that the British people can give their own clear answer - which I am confident would be a resounding 'no'.

The Constitution is no longer a live issue. One current issue is the mess Commissioner Peter Mandelson has made regarding quotas on Chinese textiles, which threatened to put UK jobs at risk for retailers as well as put prices up for consumers. Another is the proposed "Sunshine Directive", which started out as a sensible piece of Health & Safety legislation but now seeks to force employers to measure sunshine.

The issue here is why our own Government supports it: thankfully Conservative MEPs helped to throw it out. I can understand why Labour MEPs are so reluctant to put their heads above the parapet in your Letters column - but I am curious that your regular writers never challenge them to peep over it.

PHILIP BUSHILL-MATTHEWS

MEP, Brussels.