Polly Toynbee (A no to AV hurts Clegg. But a yes whacks the organ grinder, 19 April) has things back to front. Forgive the Lib Dems? Please! As she says, "nice Vince and every other Lib Dem MP voted through an extreme austerity budget that is now applying the brakes to economic recovery, while inflicting untold social damage that will take decades to repair". So who, after all this, wants to see more Lib Dems in parliament or with more influence on British politics?
The supporters of AV are missing the main lesson of the last general election: our votes are useless unless we can compel our MPs to stand by the policies (and pledges) they were elected on. The right of the electorate to recall MPs is the only democratic reform worth a damn – ironically a policy that pledge-busting Clegg et al used to get elected in the first place.
In the meantime, the only way to defend our democratic process is to do everything we can to undermine the coalition right now in order to precipitate a new general election before the damage that Polly Toynbee so graphically describes has gone too far. Hitting the Lib Dems as hard as we can, in order to further weaken their political legitimacy and resolve, is essential to this. A no vote on AV plus annihilation in the local council elections might do the trick.
Dr Peter Jones
Sheffield
• In the recent past Polly Toynbee advised Labour voters to keep voting but to put a peg on their nose while they did it. I think the "yes to AV" campaign should adopt this advice. The peg on the nose would show their distaste for Nick Clegg while they vote yes to AV. I am sure students could take up this idea with all manner of different coloured and varieties of pegs, in the manner of Red Nose Day. We could have Yes to AV peg parties and street happenings. Oh stop me before I get carried away!
Judith Hodgson
Rainford, Lancashire
• As London assembly members from every group, we have come together to urge voters to vote yes in the referendum to change the voting system. On 5 May you will have the opportunity to replace the outdated way we elect our MPs with a fairer system which would give the public a greater voice – the alternative vote. This would mean, rather than putting an X on your ballot paper, you could number the candidates in order of preference. Under this system, even if your favourite candidate was unable to win you could still have a say in who becomes your MP.
Under AV MPs will need to secure at least 50% of the vote to be certain of winning. This will mean that they'll have to work harder to keep your support. A fairer voting system will force MPs to sit up and listen, reaching out to the communities they seek to represent.
AV is not complicated. In fact, Londoners use a very similar system to elect their mayor. London is one of the few places without local elections in May, so turnout could be low. Londoners must not let this decision be made for them. We urge you to vote yes to fairer votes on 5 May.
John Biggs AM Lab, Andrew Boff AM Con, Dee Doocey AM Lib Dem, Len Duval AM Leader, Labour group, Nicky Gavron AM Labour, Darren Johnson AM Green, Jenny Jones AM Green, Caroline Pidgeon AM Leader, Lib Dem group, Murad Qureshi AM Lab, Mike Tuffrey AM Lib Dem
• Orthodox economics lies at the heart of Tory policy. It requires that when rich and powerful people and institutions make a worldwide shambles of the free market economy, the burden is placed squarely on the poor and powerless.
We have a political class in thrall to this orthodoxy in three shades – true blue Tories, custard-coloured coalescent Tories and Financial Times pink Tories. Any ordinary members of the electorate who vote for any of these are effectively drawing dotted lines on their throats marked "cut here".
And now this pack are stirring up an artificial squabble about voting mechanisms. The rest of us are not much fussed about the procedures for throwing our votes away. It's not alternative votes we want, it's alternative policies.
Nik Wood
London
• I am struck by the paradox of the raging debate – or more accurately whimpering debate – on AV for the House of Commons while the undemocratic second chamber remains bloated, appointed and bypasses the great British public completely (Lib Dems plot Lords reform, 21 April). With a bicameral system we will have an undemocratic parliament after the AV referendum. Why can't we have full proportional representation for our second chamber, to bring the UK into the 20th century at least?
Cllr Alan Hall
Chair, Labour group, Lewisham council
• Would not the chances of the yes campaign be greatly improved if Nick Clegg were to change sides? This should not be difficult as he's well practised at putting short-term expediency before principle. Those of us struggling with the Clegg/Cameron dilemma outlined by Polly Toynbee could then vote with a clear conscience.
Stan Zetie
Streetly, West Midlands
• Nick Clegg allowed David Cameron to fix constituency boundaries for a Tory victory next time, and the AV referendum he naively accepted in return is now being steamrollered by Tory money, Tory newspapers and a Tory front organisation. But what on earth did he expect?
Christopher Clayton
Waverton, Cheshire
• Patrick Baker's POTLUCK voting system (Letters, 20 April) is a great idea, but not, I think, a new one. Smash a pot, write on a potsherd (Greek=ostracon) the name of a politician you wish to see resign and leave the country, place in ballot box. The Greeks called the system ostracism; it's time we brought it back.
Michael Gover
Sheffield