Dr Andrew Murrison, the Conservative MP for Westbury, is to be congratulated on his vote against the government and against the wishes of his own party leadership in opposing military action in Iraq.

In making a decision, he has clearly and rightly taken into account the difficulty of executing such a war as evidenced by the first few days of the conflict as well as the vast opposition to it not only across the country but within Parliament itself.

My own position is that, as a long-standing member of the Labour Party, I am not supporting the government but wish to see a quick and speedy end to the killing and destruction, and the safe return of our armed forces.

I would also wish to see a rapid response to the humanitarian needs that are arising amongst ordinary Iraqi families, a situation made much more urgent as the war progresses.

However, I am not going to resign my membership unlike other members of the Labour Party. That is a matter for them.

I will stay and argue within the Party and with anyone else for that matter that war should not have begun without a second UN resolution and that the arrogance of the United States in the whole affair has been breathtaking.

The outcome can only be a disaster for the future of efforts to bring peace to the world and particularly within the whole of the Middle East, for those families gravely affected by the war, and for those men, women and children who live every day with the danger of being killed or horribly injured.

The trouble is that although the military outcome may eventually be inevitable, some people will have to pay a heavy price. The political and diplomatic outcomes, and what is to be done about, for example, North Korea, are more uncertain.

Dr William Stallard,

West Street,

Trowbridge.