I AM writing in response to EC Earle's letter (March 25).

I consider the current criticism of Hugh Bayley to be entirely justified. I have written to Mr Bayley on a number of occasions about the war in Iraq. In each reply he has stressed the need to work through the United Nations to secure compliance with resolution 1441.

In spite of these reassurances, he voted with the Government to prosecute a war without the backing of the Security Council.

In a letter dated February 3, Mr Bayley informed me that he had "spoken out publicly and directly to members of the Cabinet about the need for Britain to act in accordance with international law and to secure the approval of the United Nations Security Council if military action is contemplated."

On February 28, in another letter to me, Mr Bayley stated that "the best chance of avoiding war is to keep the UN in the driving seat and to give the UN weapons inspectors time to do their job. This is what I am urging our government to do. Nevertheless I think it is essential... to take all necessary steps to enforce compliance... including, as a last resort, military action properly sanctioned by the Security Council".

Finally, in a letter dated March 14, Mr Bayley reaffirmed his view that "if all else fails, and as a last resort, the UN should authorise military action..."

This demonstrates that Mr Bayley has said one thing and voted for another. Whatever an individual constituent's political allegiances are, we have a right to expect that our representative in the House of Commons should be open about their voting intentions when questioned.

Mr Bayley has broken this sacrament of trust and, as a consequence, he has lost my vote.

John Rushby,

Lawrence Street,

York.

Pay gifts

PROTESTS involving York council workers and schoolchildren led many to question how committed the protesters were to the anti-war cause and whether they just fancied a long lunch on a sunny day.

Had the protest taken place, as with previous demonstrations, in the protesters' own time then such doubts would not have arisen.

Therefore, were the council workers to donate an hour's pay and likewise the schoolchildren half their week's pocket money to Iraqi humanitarian aid then any scurrilous accusations about their motives would be scotched.

Richard Lamb,

Greystoke Road,

York.

Updated: 09:44 Friday, March 28, 2003