Fairer voting system - letter to Julian Sturdy

Dear Mr Sturdy,

Another week, another letter; but democracy is too important for me not to be involved.

Caroline Lucas has organised a ten minute rule bill debate to introduce a fairer system of voting.  We currently have a system where a mere 37% of voters gained a majority of MPs; and where over 4 million UKIP voters are represented by a single MP.  This is clearly undemocratic, and is undermining democracy.  We increasingly see people alienated from the political process because they do not believe they will be heard.  Any voter in a safe seat feels that their vote does not count, and that the government is determined by a small number of voters in a few swing seats.

Whilst the Conservative party is clearly the winner under the current system it is no longer sustainable, and when people feel that they have little or no say in the makeup of government they look for other ways to express their opinion.  We know that for many who voted for Brexit it was a howl of rage and despair against the system (we know because surveys tell us as do our own conversations with many people).

If democracy is to survive it needs to be renewed and refreshed, and as with the referendum, we need to ensure that every vote counts.  It is therefore imperative that we move to a system of proportional representation.  I hope that you can put short term party benefit aside for the benefit of the whole country and support the Lucas bill on 20 July.

Best wishes

Tom.

Tom Franklin
4 Frazer Court
York
YO30 5FH