AS Green Party candidate for Salisbury at the last General Election, I took part in two hustings events which were also attended by John Glen. At the first, hosted by Salisbury for Europe, John Glen stated that he was a remainer at heart, and promised to do everything possible to mitigate the effects of Brexit. At the second, hosted by the NFU, he made a similar pledge to the local farming community, who were (and remain) seriously worried about the implications of Brexit for their future livelihoods and the continued viability of UK agriculture as a whole.

Since then, John Glen has dutifully toed the Conservative Party line in every parliamentary vote, and begun to climb up the greasy pole of ministerial office. We cannot know what he may or may not have said to colleagues behind the scenes, but nor is it possible to see that anything he might have said has had any effect. Theresa May has stuck like a limpet to her 'red lines' which have led to a deal that neither her own party nor the DUP could accept, and are now leading towards the immanent disaster of a no-deal Brexit.

If he is a man with beliefs and principles who meant what he said in the 2017 election campaign, it is time for the real John Glen to stand up. It is time for him and the other more sensible and moderate Conservatives to put the well-being of the country and future generations ahead of blind party loyalty or career ambitions, and to vote firstly to put back the Brexit deadline and remove the threat of a No-Deal, and then to give the public the final say on whatever deal is finally devised.

Brig Oubridge

Salisbury