Letter: Rigged votes

Sir: I am not surprised that Frank Dobson has a commanding lead among MPs, MEPs and Greater London Assembly candidates, in their third of the electoral college that will choose Labour's mayoral candidate next month ("Dobson to win, says secret party count", 15 November).

The 14 already selected Labour Greater London Assembly candidates have been allocated votes each worth 1,000 ordinary Labour Party members' votes. These arch-Blairite GLA candidates have been hand-picked by Millbank, but elected by no one. Yet elected Labour councillors in the London boroughs have been allocated no votes whatsoever, simply because a sizeable majority would vote for Ken Livingstone.

Labour's electoral college system is rigged to a degree tantamount to electoral fraud.

T SIMON COUZENS

London E1

Sir: Ken Williamson's views on voter apathy are correct (letter, 12 November). I am not an apathetic voter. I have an opinion as to how my country should be run, how the poor, the sick and the disabled should be cared for. Unfortunately, like Mr Williamson, I am not often impressed by the calibre of the candidates. I would like a "None of the above" option on my ballot paper. This way, I can show the Government that I value my vote but I will not squander it on a person or party not worthy of it.

MARIA HELLYER

Stopham, West Sussex