While I agree with Geoff Naylor that 'the time for PR is now', (Gazette, December 28) the changes we need to our political system are so much more than just proportional representation.

We need to have a compulsory GCSE that teaches children the principles of democracy and what the alternatives are, and the risks of those alternatives and indeed the associated risks of a democratic society.

We also need to have compulsory voting (there will of course be some exceptions) and the right to record a 'none of those vote' for those voters who wish to abstain.

Then everything would be covered and the fear of extreme capitalism or near fascism and communism or near communism would be more or less eliminated with everybody having had their say.

But, nothing is perfect and factions within the main parties would still exist and try to influence policy from within a collaborative government.

But it would be a move in the right/left direction to do the best for most of the electorate and restore some confidence in politics which at the moment is almost non-existent. Until it goes wrong again and more revision is required.

Steve Partridge

Old Basing

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