I believe in basic democratic principle

ALMOST daily, this letters page leaves me shaking my head at how others see things I thought I understood, in a very different light.

We each have a unique set of influences on our thoughts and opinions based on our own backgrounds, education, exposure to experience, and increasingly from a multitude of inputs from reliable or often totally unreliable sources and few of us can say with certainty at a given moment if what we believe is the true picture.

But in one aspect I am completely satisfied that the belief in democratic principles that has been drummed into me since early schooldays, is the right way; namely “government of the people by the people through their elected representatives”.

Given that I find the current outcry about the UK decision to join the US and France in strikes against the Syrian regime astonishing.

To demand that the decision went to a popular vote is ludicrous because not only does such involvement take time that was not available, but those hankering to give or withhold approval are simply not in passion of all the many facts contributing to a sensible if not perfect decision.

By voting democratically for someone or some organisation to act for me I expressed trust in their actions even though I retained the right to seek clarification after the event.

This week in Westminster, some MPs claim that they should have been consulted in advance and some even claim that “the British public” should have been specifically asked for opinions. We all know the futility of seeking views of those who are ignorant of the facts and circumstances, for example Brexit

Kel Palmer Mountain Ash