Andrew Brown suggests that the number of parties vying for our votes will be greater than ever in the next election (Your Letters April 5).

In theory, voters will have a greater choice than ever.

In practice, the outcome will be the same as ever - the smaller parties will be unable to obtain the number of seats in parliament which reflect the size of their vote.

Instead they will split the vote and allow one of the two major parties to win the seat, often on a minority of votes cast.

A recent poll by the Hansard Society found that public faith in our political system has reached a low point. The percentage of people who do not vote has increased every year and now stands at 30 per cent.

Why bother to vote when you know that your vote will be wasted and the person elected as “your” MP holds views totally opposed to your own?

When we leave the EU, UK voters will become even more disenfranchised.

Every vote for our MEPs counts, as the size of that party’s vote reflects the number of MEPs for each party. For instance, there are three British MEPs representing the UK Green Party, which holds only one seat in the House of Commons. 

We need a new voting system in the UK and we need it soon.

The Alternative Vote system, voted down in a previous referendum, was simply a way of keeping the main two parties in government.

We need some form of proportional representation, such as most other European democracies employ, with the bar set high enough to exclude extreme political parties.

Until then, the dissatisfaction of most voters will continue to grow.

Sue Lloyd, Quay Street, Minehead.