MANY recent correspondents have condemned the fact that their elected Member of Parliament has acted against the wishes of the majority of their constituents.

Of course our first past the post system can mean the victor in an election may not have gained the majority of votes actually cast, however, this is probably neither the case in the North-East or rural shire regions of Britain.

I am minded of an interesting question that the controversial politician Enoch Powell posed to the Prime Minister regarding the introduction of a wages policy in 1972 which had been repudiated in the 1970 party manifesto.

The question being: “Does my right honourable friend not know it is fatal for any government or party or person to seek to govern in direct opposition to the principles on which they were entrusted with the right to govern?”

Evidently he was told by both low and high that “this is just what governments do do, and good luck to them if it works out”.

May I also point your learned readers to the comment of the Roman poet Horace, that the mark of a wise man is “not to be surprised by anything”.

B Jackson, Sacriston