IT was amusing to read MP James Gray’s comments regarding the debate over the future of the fire service.

For a son of the manse – as he is – to to state that “he does not know Graham Payne from Santa Claus” is disingenuous in the extreme. He recently released a copy of a letter he wrote on December 16 last to the Chief Fire Officer for Wiltshire.

Amongst the carbon copy recipients of that letter were Eric Pickles MP, Brandon Lewis MP and one bloke (whom, allegedly, he has never heard of) Graham Payne.

Fast forward a couple of months to February 14 and the Chief Fire Officer for Wiltshire invited the Wiltshire MPs to a meeting at Fire Brigade HQ in Potterne to discuss the options open to the Fire and Rescue Service. This meeting lasted almost two hours and Mr Gray was sitting on the opposite side of a four- foot wide table to myself. Also present were two other MPs, the Chief Fire Officer and his deputy.

We were subjected to an extensive bout of bombastic arrogance from Mr Gray during which he demonstrated his lack of knowledge about the matter.

Graham Payne, Dursley Road, Trowbridge