Here's my letter and his somewhat disappointing reply.

Dear Jonathan Lord,

I understand that there will shortly be a free vote on the issue of equal marriage.

Some politicians have insisted that this is an issue which is not a priority for the electorate. I disagree - this is a hugely important issue which I hope you will support.

I have seen some objections by other Conservative MPs and I would like to preemptively tackle them, if I may.

Civil Partnerships are not a substitute for marriage. If they were, we wouldn't be asking for this change. Would you and Caroline be happy to be "Civil Partnered" rather than married?

Marriage is not solely about having and raising a child. Many couples - like me and my wife - either will not or cannot have children. Is our love unworthy of marriage?

There are some objections from religious quarters. The UK is not a religious country - as evidenced by the recent census and multiple surveys. If religious people don't like the idea of equal marriage - they should simply avoid marrying someone of the same sex.

Finally, equal marriage does not diminish existing marriages. Whenever my wife and I attend the marriage of a friend, it enhances and reinvigorates our commitment to each other. Seeing our gay friends able to marry would in no way negatively affect us; it would fill us with joy.

Gay people deserve equal rights. Please don't be on the wrong side of history.

Yours sincerely,

Terence Eden

PS - As ever, an email reply is preferred to one send through the mail.

For some reason, Jonathan Lord never replies via email. He always used to until he was elected. Here's his reply:

So, basically, his reply implies that he has an open mind. I suspect that unless enough people write to him he'll go with the "traditional" view. Go on, drop your MP an email and let them know that we won't stand for bigotry in this country.

Dear Jonathan Lord,

I want to thank you for highlighting the inadequacy of South West Trains service from Woking. As commuters for four years, my wife and I are sick and tired of trains which are overcrowded, frequently late, and often filthy.

As the answer you received in Parliament shows, the private companies which provide train service in Woking are not looking after passengers' interests. They are expensive, inefficient and have a reckless disregard for safety.

I am therefore confused as to why the Government is pushing for the further privatisation of the NHS and Police force.

Given the disastrous privatisation of the railways that you have discovered, can I ask how you will be voting on 13 March 2012 on the debate to drop the NHS bill?

Yours sincerely,

Terence Eden

While I disagree with most of Mr Lord's politics, he's usually very good at getting back to me with sensible answers. I do wonder if the cognitive dissonance will be a problem in this instance.