Systematic change is what’s required

With a derisory turnout at the Scottish Local Government elections, less than 30 per cent in some Glasgow wards, there is a need to revitalise local democracy in our country.

There is a clear dislocation between us, the electorate, and the politicians who are increasingly seen as remote and out of touch. Solutions such as Saturday voting are mere window dressing, papering over the cracks.

The ability of the electorate to re-energise the democratic process through measures such as Citizen’s Initiatives – in essence referendums on issues that a petition has achieved a certain minimum number of signatures on – is a start. In addition, making councils more accountable for the money they raise would also go some way to addressing this problem.

Ultimately, what we require is a full scale public debate about how we can ensure that people feel that they are engaged in the democratic process and play a full part in it.

ALEX ORR

Leamington Terrace Edinburgh

The clear winner is, again, apathy. The clear loser is democracy. Perhaps it is time for the UK to follow the Australian example and make voting compulsory.

That way if one does not like any of the candidates one can express one’s view by spoiling the paper

JOHN DORWARD

Brechin Road

Arbroath

Isn’t it a scandal that when people actually take the trouble to vote, one in 75 of their ballot papers are rejected and thrown in the bin?

Despite all the publicity about how to vote, that was exactly the same percentage as in 2007.

I’ll bet anything that those whose votes were binned were once again predominantly elderly and not high earners. Preferential voting is undoubtedly an affront to the democratic ideal of everyone having an equal right to having their vote counted. We might be as well as go back to the old system of granting graduates from certain universities two votes rather than one.

LAWRENCE MARSHALL

King’s Road

Edinburgh

I WAS surprised to read Alexander McKay’s letter (5 May) condemning the single transferable vote system used in the Scottish Local Government elections as indecisive and boring.

For decades, under the first past the post system, Midlothian Council comprised 17 Labour and one other (varying over the years). However, despite this composition – which did not even allow a motion to be put up by the opposition – Labour polled less than 50 per cent of the vote.

This election has resulted in the Council comprising 8 Labour, 8 SNP, one Green and one Independent.

If the lack of overall control by any one party leads to discussion and compromise, then it can only be good for the electors of Midlothian, who probably do not care whether Mr McKay is bored or not!

Alison Halley

Newbattle Abbey Crescent Dalkeith