Sir, There was plenty of political chicanery on view in parliament on Wednesday evening (reports, Feb 22) but underneath was something far more sinister. MPs spoke about being in fear for their lives if they voted the wrong way on the SNP motion, and it appears that this fear resulted in the Labour amendment being forced through without a vote.
Most people in British public life have long turned a blind eye to the increasing threat of Islamism. Some have sought to pander to it for political gain while, increasingly, politicians and journalists have been put under pressure by rhetoric and threats into adopting certain political stances out of fear. On Wednesday evening this fear subverted our democracy, risking a constitutional crisis.
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