Voting reforms

Sadly, Lesley Riddoch has, for once, got it wrong (Opinion, 15 March). Gordon Brown's government is not offering a referendum "on PR". Instead it is offering a referendum only on the Alternative Vote, which is very different.

Although every elected MP would require a majority of the votes, the Alternative Vote will not deliver PR. In terms of overall party representation, the results would likely be little different from the distortions we see at present.

Also, the Alternative Vote would give voters no choice among candidates from the same party – so AV would not help solve the "bad apple" problem. To make a real difference to our political system, voting reform should deliver PR and do that in a way that would give the voters free choice among several candidates of the same party as well as between candidates of the different parties.

JAMES GILMOUR

East Parkside

Edinburgh