SIR – Bryan Russell (Letters, March 29 ), weirdly states: “This Government has no mandate from anyone”, and exists because Lib Dems joined in with the Tories allowing it to meddle with the NHS! Given the opposition to “meddling with the NHS” voiced by delegates at the Lib Dems’ Spring Conference, this accusation cannot be levelled at the party.
Furthermore, “this Government” is drawn from parties backed by a majority of voters. This may have happened only once since the Second World War. What is Bryan’s “mandate”?
All through my 50-odd years, I’ve been told that “we live in a democracy” and that this means that “the will of the people, (or a majority of them), rules”. The party with the backing of the majority forms a Government!
This very rarely applies if there are more than two parties, and for one to get a majority and a “mandate”, voters’ preferences between the parties needs to be taken into account. Mr Russell’s “mandate” is no such thing.
May 5’s referendum on the Alternative Vote gives people the chance to build a truer democracy and make MPs more attentive to those who elected them rather than to expenses or the party machinery.
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