IT’S hard not to smile at the irony of Gary Bebbington failing in his efforts to get a vote (Warrington Guardian, December 19).

Welcome to the world of the disenfranchised, like the 16 and 17 year olds considered old enough to join an army fighting in distant wars but not old enough to vote for their own future.

Welcome to the world of other EU citizens like the Polish, Spanish, German and Romanian nurses I was privileged to work alongside who had no vote in the country where they had settled.

But above all welcome to the world of the 55 per cent of Warrington voters (of both major parties) whose vote was rendered meaningless by our undemocratic first past the post electoral system.

Its cheerleaders, while allowing themselves a moment of jubilation, should remember that yet again we have a government elected by a minority (43 per cent).

Perhaps they should reflect on the fact of three general elections and at least four failed attempts to pass legislation in parliament by that minority.

Keep going until you get the answer you want.

As Churchill said, the price of democracy is eternal vigilance, something in which the electoral regulators have failed miserably.

We have an interesting year ahead of us in parliament which I will be following with interest.

ALLAN RALSTON Callands