Toeing party line
SIR - While I agree with C Burhop’s sentiment about Swire’s decision to vote for gay marriage I think that he may be labouring under a delusion about the role of an MP.
As I understand the situation, an MP is a person elected to take decisions on behalf of the electors. He/She thinks and decides on the electors’ behalf without further reference to them.
A delegate is someone who takes a committee decision to a conference and must abide by their committee’s decision. I am no expert on this matter and stand ready to be corrected.
If I am correct then it behoves the public to take care whom they elect as their MP. I have it on good authority that when H Swire was parachuted into East Devon by the Conservative Party he claimed to be a Eurosceptic.
In fact he said as much to me on the stump in Exmouth many years ago. Check his voting record on Europe in Parliament. Like many other so called “Eurosceptic” MPs they put their career ahead of their constituency party’s wishes. Hence the large fall in Tory Party membership.
If Mr Burhop wonders why Cameron decided to take on gay marriage at this time, it may be because this legislation is coming from the EU in the near future. Would the Tory faithful have accepted this from the EU? Or would it have been the final straw?
Lawrie Brownlee
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