Letter: Votes that count

Under first past the post (FPTP) not all votes are equal. About two-thirds of seats are safe. Thus in a safe Labour/Tory seat anyone who does not vote Labour/Tory is effectively disenfranchised. Even the plurality who vote Labour/Tory are also effectively disenfranchised since the MP is in reality chosen by the Labour/Tory caucus in that seat.

In very few of these seats is the candidate elected by a majority, rather than a plurality, of votes. This means more voted against than for the candidate, or abstained, recognising the futility of voting at all. Candidates elected in safe seats have a job for life, a recipe for incompetence, arrogance and contempt for the electorate, as we have seen with the expenses abuses.

Elections are thus decided by 100 or so marginal seats, and even these are decided by a smaller number of "swing voters", identified by "focus groups". Only these votes really count when it comes to electing a government.

It is said FPTP gives stable government, but governments elected on a plurality, not majority, of the vote nevertheless claim a "mandate" to force through unpopular policies, not favoured by a majority of the electorate. No government since the 1930s has won a majority vote.

Andrew Gray naively says nobody wants a second vote. Under FPTP many voters are already exercising a second vote via tactical voting. Since they cannot elect a candidate of their own choice they vote against one they dislike, and in favour of the lesser of two evils.

AV would merely formalise an already existing situation, and by ensuring that all votes count equally would create a government truly elected by a majority, not just a plurality, of votes, and would ensure that MPs had to work harder to obtain votes and to consider the needs of all voters, and not just those of their own party. Governments so elected would have the legitimacy to pursue necessary policies knowing that they had a majority behind them.

Colin McAllister

South Street

St Andrews

I cannot make up my mind as to how to vote in the AV referendum. I was originally intending to vote against in order to punish the Liberal Democrats for going into coalition with the Tories, but after reading an article in this newspaper several weeks ago by Lesley Riddoch urging a yes vote, I decided she was right.

Recently, however, several of my nationalist friends have suggested the most sensible course of action is to spoil the ballot paper with a demand for a referendum on independence, which is a cause I believe in. So, Yes, No, spoilt paper? What to do?

Sophie L Anderson

Marchmont Road

Edinburgh