M J Levins is right to call for more independence from MPs and to blame the system of party loyalty and careerism for their lack of it (You Say, August 2).

However, his solution to abolish political parties in favour of Independents only is neither practical nor achievable nor, I suspect, one that will have much popular support.

A much better alternative would be the introduction of proportional representation that would guarantee that no minority government such as Margaret Thatcher's and Tony Blair's ever achieves absolute power again.

It would also remove the certainties that allow people without convictions or beliefs to enter politics as a career and would bring in more people who stand for something other than themselves.

Our own MP Mike Foster, for example, has sacrificed his own independence of action for the privilege of carrying a minister's bag for the past five years without, is should be said, much sign of progress beyond that.

Under PR, voices that are drowned by the dominance of the major parties would be heard and Parliament would truly represent the views of the people in all their important shades of opinion.

They have PR in nearly all democracies. Criticisms about hung parliaments, tails wagging the dog, extremists being elected and so on have proved groundless as the democratic principle has always prevailed. In any case, this country is littered with hung councils, including BNP councillors, elected under our first past the post system.

"New" Labour promised a referendum on PR and they have ratted on it. They don't see the electoral system as a democratic device in absolute terms, only as a means to pursue their own self-interest, as do the Tories.

The irony is that contrary to popular belief, Britain is not a conservative country.

Election results prove that under PR, the Tories would never win a majority and that nearly all elections since 1945 would have resulted in a Labour-led coalition of the centre-left.

More importantly, it would have seen parties like the Greens, the UKIP and others, some new, in Westminster.

Whether you agree with them or not, their levels of support give them a right to be represented there.

PETER NIELSEN,

Worcester.