System is clearly anti-democratic

May I place before your readers some facts that are often overlooked?

Clearly the party political system in this country provides the vast majority of candidates presented to the electors at every election, locally and nationally.

Independents are occasionally elected, but generally only when specific single issues take the votes from the main party candidates.

Now to those facts:

The main parties have paid up members who meet regularly and then specifically to decide who they are going to permit to stand as their candidates in your election.

Membership numbers of these organisation are approximately; Conservative -130,000, Labour - 195,000, LibDem - 43,000, UKIP - 22,000, Green Party - 13,000.

So if one accepts, and it certainly appears this is true, the vast majority of electors cast their votes based on historic and cultural beliefs rather than making an informed choice at each election opportunity and as we know historically, Horsham electors always vote the Conservatives into power.

Then in our area, that probably has a Conservative Party of maybe 20 or 30 people who make the decision as to who will be the likely winning candidates and therefore who will be the majority party in the council chamber.

Then only a small percentage of electors actually vote.

So your vote in so-called and much vaulted by politicians ‘democratic elections’ does not result in ‘power’ being vested in councillors who have a clear majority mandate of the electors at all.

This party dominated system is clearly anti-democratic and if we are to face the challenges of the future with a consensus that does not leave countless millions of us with the feeling they are not represented locally or nationally, then we must find a way to break this stranglehold on our democratic process.

Suggestions on a post card please.

ANDREW CAMPBELL

Butlers Road, Horsham