OUR first-past-the-post electoral system has delivered yet another grossly distorted Parliament, which reflects neither the electorate’s wishes, nor the votes actually cast.

For example, in the two Oxford-based constituencies the total votes cast were: Liberal Democrats 41,087; Conservative 33,633; and Labour 27,937.

Yet, astonishingly, only the majority party, the Liberal Democrats, did not get an MP. The 41,087 people who cast their votes for the Liberal Democrats have been disenfranchised by this utterly corrupt system.

In Witney, David Cameron’s majority alone of 22,740 is larger than the entire electorate of the Western Isles (22,265, of whom only 66.1 per cent bothered to vote).

Yet, in Parliament, David Cameron still gets just the one vote along with Angus McNeil, of the Scottish Nationalist Party, representing the Western Isles.

Nationally, the Greens polled more than 285,000 votes, yet have just one MP to show for it. Compare that to the Democratic Unionist Party whose measly 168,216 votes returned eight MPs. Worse, the UK Independence Party polled 918,000 votes yet are denied a single MP.

And, whether you like it or not, the BNP still polled well over half a million votes without gaining any representation in Parliament.

This is simply not good enough. In fact, it is outrageous and dangerous. We need Proportional Representation to fairly represent the people of this country, so they can vote at elections for who they really want, rather than merely against who they fear in a two-horse race.

The Labour Party had 13 years, with unfair thumping Parliamentary majorities, to introduce a fair voting system, yet refused point-blank to do so. If a Conservative-led government reforms the system, eliminating all the tiny Labour constituencies, and reducing the overall number of MPs by 10 per cent, that could mean Labour fails ever to win another General Election.

Keith Dancey

Upper Wolvercote

Oxford