I CAN only concur with what Edward Morello the West Dorset Parliamentary Candidate for West Dorset has said about the sad passing of Paddy Ashdown (Follow his example – Dorset Echo, January 8).

I met him several times as a political activist and was impressed by his spontaneous friendliness and willingness to listen.

He would have taken a very strong line against the bullying of Anna Soubry outside Parliament the other day by right-wing Brexit extremists and I suspect these self same thugs would have legged it across College Green if confronted by ex-Special Boat Squadron commando Paddy.

These militant Leavers need to understand that Remainers won’t put up with their thuggery.

The one shining example of his political legacy was his championing of transforming Parliament by introducing proportional representation in the election of MPs.

There’s not a shadow of doubt that a proportionally elected, truly cross party House of Commons would transform the Brexit debate in Parliament.

I’m not a Green but was amazed to clock that they polled well over a million votes in 2015 and over half a million votes in 2017 only on both occasions to secure one MP.

That pale imitation of the Alternative Vote which was laughingly dismissed in the Referendum in 2011, will come back as an overwhelming tsunami of reform in the not too distance future to sweep the ‘forces of conservatism’ off their reluctant feet, thanks in no small part to Paddy’s determination to improve our country’s governance.

Paddy you will be missed across the political divide.

RICHARD DENTON-WHITE

Fortuneswell, Portland