Sir.–I think the general election and the local elections have shown that something is wrong with our electoral process.

British democracy is a wonderful thing and has been a shining example for the world for over 200 years.

However, the rise of multiparty politics brings up questions of fairness that many normal people are asking.

Lib Dems, Greens and Ukip combined got 7.5 million votes and 10 MPs, the Ulster Unionist got 300,000 votes and 10 MPs.

1.5 million voters chose the SNP and they received 50 plus seats.

Thirty-five per cent of people voted for the Conservatives and they got over 50 per cent of the seats, 14,000 people in Brighton chose a green candidate and one million other votes got no further MPs.

Essentially if you live in a safe seat like people in most of the south and north your vote is wasted.

This is not good for the long term sustainability of democratic politics.

It engenders the idea that politicians are all the same and voting is pointless.

We need an electoral system that encourages engagement and is truly representative.

Many people argue against electoral reform saying that it creates weak governments and bad political systems.

However Europe’s most successful economy, Germany, uses Proportional Representation and Europe’s happiest most contented people, the Dutch, also use Proportional Representation.

It could even be argued that our winner-takes-all politics has created a winner-takes-all society that encourages vast gaps in wealth between the idle rich of London and the hard working middle classes of towns like Basingstoke.

For Britain to once again become a leading light in democratic politics we need a change in the electoral system.

–Joseph Henry, Old Worting Road, Basingstoke.