Sir – The results of the General Election have sparked off the usual crop of Proportional Representation (PR) adherents calling for us to change the electoral system.
I would point out to them that in the 18 elections since the war this is only the second time our system has failed to produce a majority government.
The first in February 1974 was swiftly rectified by another election in October of that year which produced a majority government. So the system has served us well. It is worth comparing that performance with those who use PR and we need not travel far afield.
The Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly have used one of the many variants of PR for their elections, namely the Additional Member System.
All three elections in Scotland have resulted in minority governments. Currently the Scottish National Party form the government in Scotland with 34 per cent of the seats.
In Wales one election produced a majority of one seat, and the other two created coalitions based on the minority party having a large say in policy making.
Any form of PR for Westminster would deliver us the same fate, and supporters of minor parties know that, hence their embrace of PR.
It leads to muddle and confusion and almost always allows tails to wag dogs.
The electorate should be aware of that, and not allow a one-off aberration of our system, to to tempt them into the shark-infested waters of perpetual minority governments.
John Power, Oxford
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here