Proportional representation is a way to combat voter apathy

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

‘Many feel that voting in a safe constituency is a pointless exercise’ (AFP/Getty)

A recent letter suggests that dealing with voter apathy was more important than electoral reform.

Might I suggest that the reason for voter apathy is our electoral system whereby many feel that voting in a safe constituency is a pointless exercise. If we had proportional representation people might be more inclined to vote as they would know their vote would count.

CC Elshaw

Headley Down

Elocution debate

I wholeheartedly agree with Lord Digby Jones’s criticism of Olympics presenter Alex Scott’s elocution. His comment is not only appropriate, it highlights the extremely poor standard reached by BBC reporters and presenters. They used to set good examples to us all, using the Queen’s English. 

I am from a working class family, with a northern accent, so I don’t have a good voice presentation, but I couldn’t agree with him more, regarding the way announcers and presenters speak on TV and radio. MPs are guilty as well.

I have just had my 85th birthday, and I can remember when the BBC announcers set good examples for us all.

John Thorpe

Address supplied

Alex Scott is in good company. Both the home secretary, Priti Patel, and the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, are public speakers notable for droppin' their G's.

So let's 'ear it for more of those missin' consonants!

Ian McBain

Loughton

Space race

It’s good to know that Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are trying to outdo each other in the spending of their billions. But what a pity that they choose to throw their dollars at getting into space, rather than something more beneficial to the planet.

Susan Alexander

Frampton Cotterell

Vaccine incentives

The suggestion that all university students should be vaccinated is obviously a sound idea. However, offering the potential of some payment in the future will only serve to reduce the current Covid-19 vaccine uptake while they wait to see what might be offered.

It would also be unfair to offer remuneration to those who have been hesitant and nothing to those who have already had their vaccination. A solution might be for universities to give a rebate on fees or vouchers to be spent within the university to those students fully jabbed.

Molly Masters

Portishead