Mr Morgan bangs on again about values that I have no argument with. Fine spirit, etc, etc. Remembering that from the same wonderful English stock, and I do not confine this to the Forest of Dean, come murderers, thieves and other baddies whose deeds we might not wish to celebrate as all that is best.

But then in the same letter page he went on to bad mouth the England rugby team. Yes they did have a couple lousy matches, but remember, England finished second in the Championship, they were joint highest point scorers, they scored more tries (16) and had the meanest defence. They made the most passes, made as many line breaks as Ireland and three more than Wales. They committed the fewest errors and won the most turnovers; they lost just one lineout on their own throw in five encounters. Something to be proud of I think, an improving team.

They achieved all this without their own anthem by the way, obviously not fazed by the dire tunes of the other nations, particularly the threatening Flower of Scotland.

I think the idea of an English parliament is splendid by the way. I just wonder what sort of parliament Mr Morgan has in mind though? Would it be the same as mine? Or the same as the English in Manchester have in mind, or the English in Kent, or Newcastle, or Bradford? You see that is the strength of the English. It is our diversity and tolerance. But hey, here we have two Englishmen born and bred arguing about the values of Englishness, you with a very Welsh surname and me with a very Irish surname. Just goes to show. – Ian Coghlan, Pillowell.