IN his article last Thursday, James Gray expressed his frustration at being unable to win votes on large issues in the House of Commons due to the large Government majority.

He rightly took credit for being able to influence local issues such as the siting of a probation office and some telecom masts.

Last week there was an opportunity for Mr Gray and his Tory colleagues to have influenced Government policy on the largest issue of the day.

There was a vote in Parliament concerning the Bush/Blair war against Iraq and 199 MPs voted against this war. Only ten of these were Tories but, had the rest of the opposition voted against the war, perhaps Government policy could have been changed.

Public opinion is against this war and Mr Gray is on record as hoping that war could be avoided.

We have 14 American B52 bombers in south Gloucestershire which will soon be flying across Wiltshire full of modern weaponry. I would think these pose a greater threat to the people that probation offices and masts.

J W Wright

Maiden Lane, Cherhill