Castle Neroche on the Blackdown Hills in Somerset.

The view from Castle Neroche looking north west toward Taunton and the Quantock Hills. Neroche was a Norman motte and bailey castle built on the site of an Iron Age hill fort, consequently some of the footpaths are steep and hard going, especially if one is asthmatic.

A view from Castle Neroche on the Blackdown Hills in Somerset.

English Longhorn Cattle on the Blackdown Hills in Somerset.

A letter in the Western Morning News 14th May 2015

Travesty of Democracy

Dear Sir,

Imagine an election taking place in an African or Middle Eastern country the outcome of which resulted in one party being awarded 56 seats in its legislature after receiving 1.5 million votes while two other parties had 5 million votes between them but were apportioned only 2 seats. The British Government would be outraged at such blatant unfairness; it would, no doubt, support resolutions of condemnation at the UN, talk of possible sanctions would be in the air, threats of military intervention might be whispered.

In reality a similar travesty of democracy has just occurred in Britain where a party with 37 per cent of the vote has 100 per cent of the power. The SNP and its 1.5 million voters will not complain as they push on to independence. However, UKIP and the Green Party, with their 5 million votes but only 2 MPs, have every right to feel aggrieved.

In a multi-party democracy we need proportional representation; first past the post is now anti-democratic and must be replaced.

S.W.
English Democrats, Somerset