Brexit distraction

Can we take it as official that Britain is no longer a democracy, now that Theresa May has gone out on a limb without consulting MPS and ordered unapproved military action in Syria? It was a complete departure from long-established procedures.

The US refuses to disclose evidence it says it has on the use of a chemical attack by the Syrian Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party in Douma and I think we all know why. It seems like the attack was a purposeful attempt to prevent an inspection by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) investigators from finding a lack of evidence of the development of any chemical weapons.

I can visualise in years to come, apologies, again, from the world bullies for, and acknowledgements of, such past “mistakes”. But this is simply not good enough. If the prime movers are not held to account for their past so-called mistakes, innocent people will continue to suffer while the infiltrators get carte blanche to carry out atrocities with impunity, multiplying the many enemies that have already been visited on the British people.

It seems to me to be an extreme way to deflect the public mind from the Brexit conundrum. This ploy has been successfully played out by various failing prime ministers of the past.

The Scottish Government, for its part, should emphatically condemn this debasement of the democratic process. Had we taken the opportunity, we could have left all these problems to the London Government. We would now be in a position to sit back and lend sympathy to our unrepresented neighbours down south, instead of being forcefully embroiled in the diplomatic scandal.

WILLIAM BURNS Pennywell Road, Edinburgh Why, if the UN chemical weapons inspectors were hours away from carrying out their work, were they not allowed time to do so?

Why, if the US military knew of a poison gas factory, did they blow it up when, if there was gas there – and there would be if it were a poison gas factory – it would be released, causing casualties? Why, if we knew of a poison gas factory did we not alert the UN inspectors to that fact so that they could examine it? Given the stretch on the defence budget, was it wise to blow £6 million on eight Storm Shadow missiles at a foreign power who presents no threat to us? WILLIAM LONESKIE

Justice Park Oxton, Lauder Jeremy Corbyn wants more proof that the Salisbury nerve agent attack was orchestrated by the Russian state and says he would only use military force in Syria if it was approved by the UN (conveniently ignoring the fact that Russia has vetoed six UN motions on the Syrian conflict).

At the same time we have former First Minister Alex Salmond earning an “honest” crust as a radio presenter for a Russian state-funded broadcaster and now his protégé, Ms Sturgeon, tells us that the targeted air strikes “should not be the role of UK foreign policy” (conveniently ignoring the fact that UK foreign policy is not her concern).

Thankfully we have leadership from the Prime Minister. After Salisbury she shared intelligence with our allies which resulted in over 20 states taking diplomatic action against Russia. After the Syrian chemical attack she, with the USA and France, took swift and justified action against specific targets connected to the Syrian production of chemical weapons.

Mrs May has shown leadership – a striking contrast to the apologists and whiners in the Labour Party and the SNP.

JIM HOUSTON Winton Gardens, Edinburgh