Ewan Gurr, defending the invitation to David Mundell to open a foodbank, said "… surely we need to engage with people on both sides of the debate if we are to bring about change?" (‘Why I invited the Tory Scottish Secretary to open my foodbank’, Opinion, 26 July). However, what’s going on here isn’t a debate, but a war of the powerful against the powerless. If you see a bully beating someone up and you say "I want to engage with both sides", it’s clear whose part you’re taking.

Katherine Perlo

Prestonpans