Letter: A yes vote for electoral reform

Sir: I am very disappointed with Andrew Marr's article on the Plant Commission. Nowhere does he address the problem of the disenfranchised voter, the millions of Conservative, Labour and Lib-Dem supporters whose cross on the ballot sheet is worth as much as if they voted for the man in the moon.

In huge swathes of territory which have become no-go areas for any party other than the one that has held sway for many decades, be it Labour in the North of England and Scotland or Tory in Kent and Sussex, more and more people are put off voting in what has become a farcical charade.

Andrew Marr appears to believe that the pressure for change comes only from party politicians and their 'number crunching', to use his own words. The majority of us are thoroughly fed up with having every general election decided by a tiny minority of marginal constituencies who apparently hold the fate of the country in their hands. How can this be good for democracy?

Apparent abstentions in the last election were put down to the effects of the poll tax. However, all the abstainers I know were on the electoral register, but knew their votes don't count.

Yours faithfully,

J. D. PERTWEE

Canterbury, Kent

1 April