THERE is nothing idealistic about wanting to ditch First Past the Post for a system of PR Mr. Samways ( Happy with the system – Tuesday January 7 .)

On Thursday 12 December 14 million voted for the Right and to Leave the European Union, whilst 16 million voted for progressive parties and to Remain – a clear majority for rejecting a Tory Brexit.

As always our anachronistic 19th Century voting system failed completely to deliver fair and reflexive representation in our Parliament. By rights we should now have a ‘progressive’ government based on co-operation not confrontation. Under PR we would have had exactly that !

However, it’s no good moaning ( people have done that for decades) : active people of goodwill must forge an effective campaign to change things and begin to inform the general public why electoral reform is not an anorak concern, but a democratic essential. Step one is to at last persuade the Labour Party to adopt PR – not a wishy washy Alternative Vote system, but the radical, voter enabling Single Transferable Vote. Never ending party tribal discussions about ‘systems’ will kill the debate for reform stone cold dead.

Meanwhile, the also anachronistic Royal Family institution needs blowing the cobwebs away. Harry and Megan have begun the process of modernising a British age old habit and shouldn’t be criticised for doing so with pompous ‘stiff upper lip’ critiques ( Dorset Echo -Lacking courtesy – Tuesday 14 January.)

They’ve had to put up with a whole range of petty and often racist abuse from this country’s right wing media and though I’m no Royalist I wish them both well.

As in Sweden and Holland our monarchy must adapt to a 21st Century model or expect to have their titles and privileges taken away and retire to one of their landed estates and become normal tax payers.

I’m with Clive Lewis on this one. Class, privilege and division is no way to run our post Empire country.

Richard Denton-White

Charminster