Vote for fairness

Tommy Sheppard (Platform, 19 July) says that in every UK election since the Second World War millions of voters have been left unrepresented, so we are not a true democracy. But that is the nature of democracy – the minority loses, whatever the voting system, even PR.

The real essence of democracy is that at the next election one can vote the politicians out. The really big democratic problem we have is the use of referendums as a policy decider. Because the people have spoken, there seems to be no way back from the result, even if they then change their minds. Irreversibility is undemocratic. HUGH PENNINGTON Carlton Place, Aberdeen