Witham MP Priti Patel appears to be placing the burden of failure in the local elections squarely on the shoulders of Theresa May.

The plain truth is that while the Prime Minister has not made anything easy, it is the blatant failure of 34 Conservative MPs who voted against the Government on March 29 as the prime reason the UK is viewed with disdain by the rest of the world.

Had these 34 MPs voted with the Government this country would no longer be part of the EU and would not be taking part in the upcoming MEP elections where undoubtedly the two major parties will suffer further humiliation.

Importantly, however, of those 34 MPs, 26 were elected to represent their constituents who had voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU.

Politics is not about personal agenda, it is about representing your local constituents which the likes of Ms Patel, John Baron, James Duddridge, Mark Francois and Sir Bernard Jenkin failed to do which undoubtedly the electorate will never forget.

Ed McIlvaney

Witham