Sir – One problem with our first-past-the-post electoral system is that all the rewards go to the winner. Less recognised is that the system discourages interest in those who are unlikely to be first past the post. Democracy is thereby damaged.
Last week, Witney played host to the BBC World Service and BBC World TV. A Kenyan reporter was puzzled why African states are commonly characterised as one-party regimes where voters have no real alternative to the ruling dictator. The situation was surely much the same elsewhere. The BBC made comparison with Witney, where David Cameron attracted 49.8% of the votes in the last general election. Did this domination stifle opposition? The resulting film and radio recordings are available on the internet. BBC guidelines do not allow their broadcast in the UK before an election.
The political power of the Conservatives in the Witney constituency is accompanied by social and commercial dominance. People become afraid to show deviance from the norm. This is not good for democracy and, consequently, not good for any of us. Let me quote from your email to me about the full-page interview of David Cameron you published on 21 April:
“Yes, David Cameron is one of a number of candidates competing for the Witney constituency. He is also a considerable local figure with a chance of being the next Prime Minister of the UK. It is in the latter capacity that we devoted an interview to him. We do take our policy of fairness and balance seriously but that does not mean that we suspend our judgement about legitimate and newsworthy subjects for our readership.”
If you have the courage to print this letter, I will be reassured that concern for democracy still survives in Witney.
Yours sincerely
Stuart Macdonald
Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for the Witney Constituency
13 West End
Witney
Oxfordshire OX28 1NQ
01993-772871
