June 9: Both voting systems have their place

TO have the best of both worlds in our voting system we obviously need to have two bites of the cherry.

Yes, first past the post gives people the opportunity to vote for an individual in their own constituency, whether that be on personal knowledge, party politics or for any other reason.

Electing the upper chamber on a PR basis would ensure that all opinions could be catered for.

Six hundred seats allocated on a percentage of the total vote would mean that any group who described their objectives in a manifesto could then allocate the seats to their representatives.

This would allocate for every group from the Church of England, CPRE, any political party, even possibly the RNLI, in fact any group who thought hat they would get support.

The ballot paper might be a bit long but with an initial financial charge it could be done. Any group would not even have to get 1 per cent of the vote (I think .33 per cent would suffice).

A single vote for each elector would simplify the count. This chamber would then act in the same way as the present House of Lords. Interesting?

Making fools of customers

From: John Watson, Hutton Hill, Leyburn.

IT is well known that some of our supermarkets are struggling to please their shareholders but some of the ruses they are coming up with to make their customers spend more money are a disgrace.

Several times on paying at the till you will be made aware of their discount offers. A common one is to spend £10 and you 
get a pound discount on your next purchase. Worse still you are able to get £5 back on a £50 purchase.

If ever there was a trick to get those who have to count their pennies to overspend, this is it.

It is no wonder that the discount stores are doing well. What they sell is as good, if not better, than some of the big stores and a lot cheaper.

There is an old saying which goes: You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.

Hedgehog massacre

From: Ross Taggart, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees.

WE are encouraged to do all we can to ensure the survival of the humble hedgehog, but the greatest threat to that survival is steadfastly ignored by conservation organisations; that being the wholesale slaughter of the remaining hedgehog population by the badger, their only natural predator.

The numbers of badgers have risen hugely as a consequence of the well-intentioned legal protection given to them. The unintended consequence will be the total loss of the hedgehog.

A little publicised report in the aftermath of a badger cull in Gloucestershire showed a doubling of the struggling hedgehog population. My own garden, until recently home to a healthy number of hedgehogs, is now strewn with their devoured remains thanks to the appearance of a badger.

It is time for the public to put aside mawkish sentimentality and for the conservationists to admit to a mistake. The badger population must be culled from its artificially high level. If not, the hedgehog will soon be gone.

Return to prosperity

From: J Brears, Little Heck, Goole.

DR Glynn Powell’s letter (The Yorkshire Post, May 30) is typical of some Labour supporters regarding the gradual recovery of the financial position left by the last Labour government.

Hopefully for the next five years we will continue to see steady growth in the economy, which certainly would not have been the case under Labour.

I notice his socialist hero Tony Blair was reported to have demanded £330,000 to deliver a 20-minute speech on world poverty in Stockholm, which was declined as too expensive.

I have seen all governments and voted for the last 75 years and the best Labour Prime Minister in my opinion was Clement Attlee – although I never understood how he defeated Sir Winston Churchill – who guided us to victory in the Second World War.

Getting away with littering

From: R Pearson, Doncaster.

IN response to the articles on litter (The Yorkshire Post, May 22) I can empathise with Mr Terrence Hollingworth.

While waiting in the car at a local level crossing, I was horrified when the passenger of the car in front started to empty his litter onto the verge. Drinks cans, bottles, newspapers, cigarette packets and stubs.

At the side there was a notice stating “Tipping will be prosecuted” and a contact telephone number. I was reluctant to get out of the car to air my views as I am an 80-year old lady of 5ft 2ins. The “litter lout” was a burly, heavily-tattooed male.

As soon as I arrived home I rang the number displayed. I was told nothing could be done without my name, address and phone number. I was reluctant to give details in case there were repercussions, so another “fly tipper” was allowed to get away with spoiling the environment, to be cleared at our expense.