Sir, – In your editorial entitled “Election over” (D&S, Apr 9), you rightly highlight the unfairness of our electoral system. But I disagree on two points.

First, the election is far from over. The right to vote in Britain has been hard won. Many of the voters whom I am meeting across our great constituency of Richmond are rightly angry about the expenses scandal and those politicians who have abused the system. Every voter has two ways to express this anger. They can either stay at home or go out to vote.

I strongly urge all the people of Richmond constituency to go out to vote on May 6.

Second, I take issue when you write that “four weeks before the poll, we can welcome back to the new Parliament William Hague”. This unfair system allows the Tories to focus on marginal seats, using part of the considerable fortune of Lord Ashcroft, and much of the time of William Hague.

The Liberal Democrats’ focus is on this seat of Richmond, because no party and no politician should take the voters here for granted as though only marginals matter. The Labour Party has not kept its repeated promises to change this system in 13 years and yet has made this previously broken promise again in its manifesto.

Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to changing this unfair electoral system.

So we may welcome back to Parliament William Hague, who strongly supports this unfair electoral system. However, we can instead welcome to the new Parliament a new MP, a real change, a full-time MP, who takes nobody’s vote for granted and supports changing this unfair electoral system so that everyone’s vote will count.

LAWRENCE MEREDITH Liberal Democrat candidate for Richmond c/o The Ghyll, Arkle Town, Richmond.