"It all comes down to a question of choice. Conservative policies put faith in families and society to make the right decisions for themselves, giving them freedom and opportunity," said Jonathan Sheppard (Letters, July 30).

Mr Sheppard seems to think we all have a choice. It wasn't too many years ago I recall being part of a protest outside Dame Jill Knight's Birmingham constituency office.

She was one of the architects of Section 28. As a gay man, I had a choice to stand up against blatant discrimination which, oddly enough, is still rife among Conservative opinion.

Conservative policies put no faith in me or my larger gay family to make the right decisions. Conservative policies afford me no freedom or opportunity to live a free and unrestricted life.

Who, then, do they appeal to? Modern families bear no resemblance to the traditional family notion the Conservatives still cling to.

It would therefore serve Mr Sheppard well to remember society is made up of people just like me.

Maybe Mr Sheppard should champion freedom and opportunity of an inclusive society among his own party before preaching to the rest of us.

-Kevin Donnelly, Preston Park Avenue, Brighton