MP will not be cowed

The House is at its best when it’s at its most sombre, as it was this week. Monday was entirely devoted to tributes to our dear friend, Sir David Amess. There were superb speeches - most notably from Mark Francois who was perhaps David’s closest Parliamentary friend and constituency neighbour. Then, in a unique tribute, we all followed Mr Speaker across the road to St Margaret’s Westminster for a magnificent memorial service. On Wednesday after a very peaceful PMQs, the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition jointly paid lovely tributes to James Brokenshire who died too soon of cancer. South Swindon’s Robert Buckland spoke especially movingly. Normal business - and the hurly burly of normal politics - seemed suspended for the week in memory of people who had devoted their lives to public service.

I would draw two particular consequences from Sir David’s murder. First, politics in recent years seems to have been infected by a hatred, a toxicity, a readiness to be rude about politicians, of a kind which never used to besmirch our body politic. Robust views freely exchanged are central to our long-established democratic processes. But it should always be done with great respect. I may well often disagree with my Labour colleagues, but I have huge admiration and respect for them. Where I disagree with them, I say so in the nicest possible way, and go through the opposite Division Lobby in the House. But then we will often go off for dinner together.

The invention of the Internet, and especially Social Media seems to me to be particularly responsible for the coarsening of politics here and around the world. All of a sudden, any weirdo in a back room with a gripe or a vicious ideology can make his very nasty views known to all at the stroke of a few keys. And for some unknown reason we seem to take it seriously. I have a self-denying ordinance that I simply do not look at Facebook or Twitter or the other platforms, thereby ignoring the nonsense which sometimes pollutes them.

The only people who matter to me are the people of North Wiltshire, and I am absolutely clear that I will not be cowed by the increased terrorist threat against MPs. I will take normal precautions - of course I will; and I am closely in touch with Wiltshire Police over it all. But I am determined to continue with my surgeries in precisely the same way as I have always done - two Saturdays a month in six locations altogether spread around the Constituency. I have also always believed it to be my job to be visible up and down our high streets, in schools and businesses, speaking at local events and in so many other ways. That is an important part of representative Parliamentary democracy, and I will not be changing my long-held habits as a result of a terrorist threat.

North Wiltshire is a peaceful place, and we must keep it that way by maintaining the good and decent and peaceful norms of politics and society which may well be the envy of more troubled, perhaps urban areas. My job is to represent you all, and I can only do that if I live with you and talk to you and am wholly available to you. That must not - and will not - change.

James Gray

MP for North Wiltshire

Support women's rights

In reply to Alan Woodham (SA, October 18) he is right to be concerned that a man who murdered two teenage girls has now been released out on licence from prison.

The parole board deemed that he is now safe to be released from prison, but how can a man that has committed such terrible crimes ever be safe enough to return to society.

The law needs to be a lot more protective towards women. Nature has made men physically stronger than women. The laws needs to counter this situation by making the murder of women a much more serious offence.

Society needs to much more supportive of women's rights. Only by strengthening the Criminal Justice System can women be made to feel safe again in Britain.

Steve Halden

Beaufort Green

Swindon

Do you have a view on the news? Send a letter to the editor via email to letters@swindonadvertiser.co.uk