DURING the 2015-17 Parliament, a petition to the Government calling for a debate on a fairer electoral system passed the 100,000 threshold, and a parliamentary debate is now due to take place on October 30.

The significance of this subject has now taken on a new importance, with a third successive election which has either produced a hung parliament, or delivered a tiny parliamentary majority.

The First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral aystem is clearly now failing on its main selling point – that it nearly always produces a strong and stable one-party Government.

Earlier this year I wrote to David Mowat, then MP for Warrington South. While Mr Mowat (perhaps predictably) gave a reply to the effect that he and I may not agree, he and his staff did take the time to reply pretty quickly. Plus, I noted the response did not appear to use the same standard reply which other Conservative MPs have continuously used when constituents have written expressing their dissatisfaction with the current system.

Since the General Election I have also twice written by email to the newly-elected Labour MP Faisal Rashid to seek his views on this important matter. However, to date Mr Rashid has not replied.

It is very important for other Warrington South constituents to contact Mr Rashid to convey their dissatisfaction.

It simply is not fair for voters who prefer not to vote for either of the two main parties, to find themselves in a situation where they have to hold their noses and vote Labour or Conservative to simply keep out the candidate they dislike the most.

I would also like to take the opportunity to encourage Warrington North constituents to contact Helen Jones MP.

Even in these most volatile of political times, one would expect this constituency to be forever Labour. That means Ms Jones or any successor will always be more accountable to the local Labour Party than the Warrington North electorate.

There are alternative voting systems out there which are fairer.

People on the opposite side of the debate may sometimes say proportional representation systems are very complicated.

From the angle of what a voter needs to do in the polling booth, this simply is not the case. Plus it reduces the complication attached to FPTP, of second guessing how other people vote to cast a tactical vote.

So do please contact your local MP and express your dissatisfaction.

ANDY J WATSON Bewsey