Sir – So, the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Nicola Blackwood, unlike a small number of Conservative MPs who put conscience above party, voted to bomb Syria.

When the pictures of innocent civilians, including women and children, killed or horrifically injured start to come back, as they will, will she be able to live with her conscience?

Does she really think this will deter terrorist attacks here? Quite likely the opposite, and then she will have something else on her conscience. France was already bombing Syria before the Paris attacks, let us remember.

And what is the strategic plan? Has she and the other MPs who voted “yes” learned nothing from Iraq and Afghanistan? It is highly likely that western actions in those areas actually led to the creation of IS. What if IS actually is destroyed? What then? Peace and democracy in Syria? The experience of Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan hardly points in that direction.

This will be a sore that will fester for decades, assuming that there is not an even more catastrophic outcome, i.e. a world war, given that Russia is involved, and not exactly on the same side as “us”.

And did Nicola Blackwood consult any of her constituents (other than fellow party members) before deciding on this momentous vote? I would be surprised if a majority of them were in favour, even among those who voted for her in May.

Well, we can test this. I have suggested to Ms Blackwood and I repeat it here, that we hold a public meeting/debate, similar to the hustings in May, where she can make her case, and any of the candidates in that election can also come and speak on the issue if they wish.

And then let the audience vote on the issue. It would be too late to affect the Commons vote of course, but it would put on record what the people of Abingdon think about the issue and to what degree Nicola Blackwood does in fact represent the views of her constituents.

Mike Ellwood
Morton Close, Abingdon