NO TORY politician will want to hear this, but John Tomblin’s telling facts (Dorset Echo December 20) are a clear argument for changing our archaic First Past the Post electoral system.
Proportional representation would seismically change our politics and lead to openness, creativity and fairness suddenly germinating from the dark soil of our ‘winner takes all’ political culture.
The Single Transferable Vote in Multi-Member constituencies springs to mind with its more representative parliaments and its greatly increased voter choice.
This of course remains ‘pie in the sky’ whilst the Tories remain in power, but the next five years is an opportunity to build a powerful cross party reform movement that can then legislate when a progressive government eventually comes to power.
Meanwhile, this movement for democracy needs first to blow away this government’s dangerous (for democracy) proposals to require photo identity at polling stations at elections, which will exclude thousands of electors, without passports and driving licences, from participating.
Richard Denton-White
Mill Lane
Charminster
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