Letters: Brown's voting reform game-changer
I welcome the voting reform announced by Gordon Brown (Report, 2 February), which could turn out to be an election game-changer. Though how our MPs are elected is much less important than what they can do when they get to parliament. We have an unwritten constitution that gives the government as much power as our monarchs had in the time of divine rule and hogties our MPs when it comes to holding the government to account. Reform of our parliamentary system is long overdue, but I don't believe any government can be trusted to carry it out because its thinking will be dominated by party and vested interests. We should be given a referendum on the setting up of a citizens' convention so that we, the electorate, can decide on how we should be governed.
Jim Pragnell
West Otford, Kent
Gordon Brown dithers over electoral reform with a deathbed conversion. Desperate to cling to power, he seeks back-room deals with the Lib Dems without giving voters a choice of voting systems. The Conservatives have nothing to fear from electoral reform. Dan Hannan MEP and Douglas Carswell MP are promoting multi-member constituencies for more accountability, representation and an end to safe seats. We also admire the STV system (the most proportionate) in Ireland, which makes their MPs campaign very hard for their votes. The shadow leader of the house, George Young, favours STV for the Lords.
We should not be bounced into a hasty reaction. The only reason Labour is now proposing AV is because it sees electoral advantage in it. This system can generate a less proportionate outcome than first past the post, so Nick Clegg should think hard before agreeing to prop up a failing government and abandoning the Lib Dem commitment to STV. Let's have a proper debate on the different systems before putting it to the electorate.
Janice Small
Conservative Action for Electoral Reform