So after a week of grand discussions in Strasbourg over great and weighty matters of international significance, I was very much looking forward to escaping back to North Wiltshire for some R and R as well as some highly enjoyable campaigning in the local elections. Local councillors of all parties and at all levels – town and parish, district and County - often bear the brunt of local people’s criticism – the Council Tax is too high, the rubbish collected too infrequently, the leisure centres closing, public toilets out of order or closed and the rest of it. And I would be amongst the first to criticise, for example, North Wiltshire District Council, for the absurd shambles over local leisure centres. But leaving that perfectly legitimate general policy criticism on one side for a moment, let us give thanks for those hundreds of men and women who give up of their time and energies to serve our local communities, and by and large do so very well, and often with precious little thanks.

I was glad to be out knocking on doors in Pickwick, Wootton Bassett and Cricklade this particular weekend, and hope to have covered very much of the constituency by the time of the District Council Elections on 3 May. I enjoy canvassing enormously. In thirty years of it, I have had not one door slammed in my face. Most sensible people are pleased to see political activists out and about collecting views, and most are pretty pleased to have a doorstep chat with their MP or council candidate.

I was glad too over the weekend to be able to hand out the certificates after the excellent mathematics interschool competition in Wootton Bassett- what an excellent initiative to make the ever-more important teaching of maths fun in that way; to attend the Wiltshire County Council Reception in Trowbridge, a dinner in east Tytherton, the superb service of rededication of the magnificent ‘Doom Board in Dauntsey Church, with a fine sermon from the Bishop of Swindon, and a pleasant stroll round a garden open on Sunday afternoon. Of such things are a local MP’s “constituency duties.” I most certainly do not complain about them. On the contrary,  I greatly enjoy that local interest and involvement, and passionately believe that it is an absolutely central part of my job.

So if Doreen English or others like her complain that I am being too “local” in my interests, then I am happy to put my hands up, and plead guilty as charged; but in paying tribute to the wonderful work done by local councillors, perhaps I should just  add that if the electorate are prepared to allow it, I would really much rather just stay as your  MP, thank you very much indeed!

Neighbouring Iran meanwhile played complex diplomatic games with kidnapped British marines and sailors who were then thankfully released on a symbolic Maundy Thursday.  We can only presume that their capture, symbolic humiliation and release are all part of his undoubted plan to build a nuclear bomb with which to wipe Christ’s people off the face of the Globe by obliterating Israel.  It looks as if Iran may cynically have facilitated the murder of four British soldiers in neighbouring Iraq on the same day whose bodies were then repatriated through RAF Lyneham. Islamic fundamentalist Taleban are meanwhile in all-out warfare with the British in Afganistan; and Islamic fundamentalist terrorists on trial in London, admitted plans to blow up Parliament. What a world we live in.

The entire Middle East Region seems to me a cauldron, perhaps not unlike the Balkans prior to the First World War, which the slightest – and least expected – spark  like the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo could set off at any moment. Unlike 1914, of course,  modern warfare, especially “asymmetric” warfare and terrorism has the capacity easily to spill over into our homelands – as 9/11 so graphically demonstrated. I always shock constituents visiting Parliament as we stand together on the Terrace directly under Big Ben, by telling them that this may well be the most dangerous moment of their lives.

I rather enjoyed hearing this week about the 1950s Government poster promoting hospital deliveries which read “The first three minutes are the most dangerous of your entire life,” to which some wag had added “The last three minutes aren’t great either.” Gallows humour maybe. Or Great British phlegm. Terrorism – Islamic or otherwise – will only win if we give in to it. There were plenty of people around in 1914, again in 1939, and in almost every armed conflict or deployment since advocating the pacifist line. Well, I’m not one of them. If you believe in democracy, in a free liberal economy, in respect for the individual, and freedom within a just law; if you hate poverty, starvation, ignorance, prejudice, then you must be ready to fight for them. The greatest crime is for the good man to do nothing.

So there are difficult, dangerous times ahead. There may well be further terrorist outrages in the West; we will doubtless face further death and destruction “in theatre” in the Middle East. There will always be siren voices advocating retreat into our safe mainland shells leaving the betterment of the world to others. But apart from  anything else, I do not believe that that was the message of Easter. When the Roman invader executed Christ, he thought that he was striking a blow for Imperialist peace and security. The Resurrection, and its celebration on Easter Day for two thousand years after the end of that Empire must give us all hope for today’s troubled Middle East.

Many of us will be spending at least part of that time campaigning- in the North Wilts District Council elections locally, although it is beginning to look likely that that unhappy council will be abolished within a year or two in favour of a single-tier unitary covering the whole of Wiltshire. Scottish MPs are campaigning especially hard in the Scottish Parliamentary elections, where the polls indicate that the Scottish Nationalists, committed to the dissolution of the Union will at least be the largest party, if not in overall control. Well, I told them so. The ridiculous devolution settlement could not last. The more drink you give an alcoholic the more he wants. And any move towards greater Scottish independence will- perfectly justifiably - enflame calls for a farer deal for England- we being the only people who by then would have less than total control over our own affairs. The “English Question,” or “West Lothian Question” as it is sometimes called, lies unanswered on the table, and will without doubt lead to an upsurge in English Nationalism. As a Scot born and bred, I will be proud to be in the forefront of the battle for “English votes on English matters.”

As we go into recess, the eyes of the World are on Iran, and questions being asked whether the “softly, softly” approach being adopted in our negotiations over the outrageous handling of the captured seamen will work. It’s a complex situation. Iraq, Afganistan, Israel/Palestine, and sanctions over Iran’s failure to promise not to develop her own nuclear capability are all part of it. Our priority must be to get them out unharmed, and to avoid any kind of escalation. But I fear that the longer that their illegal captivity and ritual TV humiliation go on the less likely that becomes. Let us all pray that no recall of the House will be necessary over this recess.

We live in troubled times, so I wish you all a very Happy Easter, and hope that we will all soon be able to look forward to better times to come