SO, Labour got its historic third successive victory, as expected.

However, one issue seems to have evaporated since the party came to power. Whatever happened to the introduction of some from of proportional representation?

Even the Liberal Democrats failed to mention it in their list of priorities during their campaign.

Prior to the Labour landslide in 1997 there was much talk of the Liberal Democrats and New Labour working together towards a significant change to our first past the post existing electoral system.

Roughly 64 per cent of the electorate did not vote for Labour on May 5, yet, it wins with an (albeit reduced) absolute majority and the power that brings. Our electoral system fails to fit into the very definition of democracy.

Virtually all of our fellow European countries have varying forms of proportional representation. Does this not exemplify how quickly power corrupts?

Labour knows that it would mean a dilution of the party's power, so the issue has been spun out of its policies. We suffered the brutality of 11 years of Thatcherism, in spite of most voters not wanting a Conservative Government especially the Thatcher brand.

We do not deserve to be referred to as having the Mother of all Parliaments when our voting system so blatantly ignores the wishes of the majority.

S M TURK

Swindon