Letter: Unfair voting system worse than ever

Sir: It is immoral and dangerous that some voters should be required either to vote with their conscience but ineffectively, or effectively but against their first preference, for the lesser evil of the two candidates who have a chance of winning.

It is not enough that parties should have MPs roughly in proportion to the votes cast for them; it is essential too that those MPs should all have been chosen by the voters, not wholly (as in Israel and South Africa) or partially (as in most of our EU partners) by the party machines.

A system (STV) which gives power to the voters exists now. If it is good enough for the Irish, why isn't STV good enough for us?

SIMON GAZELEY

Bath