Letter: Dangers of PR

Sir: Gradually the consequences of proportional representation are being made flesh.

At the next election of MEPs, we will be able to vote only for a party, not for individual candidates ("Labour NEC deselects 11 of its MEPs", 23 September). How have we come half-circle from the situation where a party name did not appear on the ballot paper to a state where only a party's name is given?

The next shock will come when it dawns on us that we are not even able to select between policies, because these too will be firmed up only after elections as parties stitch up coalitions.

Do we the voters really want to abrogate either of these time-honoured privileges in the cosy name of proportionality? How this trend can be regarded either as liberal or democratic defeats me.

MAX BERAN

Didcot, Oxfordshire