Over 'the Border SIR,—People in Northern Ireland 'have exactly the
same electoral system as Great Britain to make it so easy for their change of mind to have an immediate effect.' ('Letters to the Editor,' Novem- - ber 26.) What an extraordinary statement! It is the voters of the Irish Republic, under PR, who know that any change of mind on their part will be reflected in the result of a general election; those of Northern Ireland, and of the United King- dom generally, can never be sure of any such thing.
In the Victoria division of Belfast, fewer than three voters in a hundred changed their minds as compared with the previous election, and the seat changed hands. But in North Down (Unionist majority over 6,000 last time, over 7,000 this), more than a quarter of all the voters could desert the Unionists for their opponents and still leave that a Unionist seat. In the British general election of 1951, voters changed their minds towards Labour, that party polling more votes, and a larger share of the votes, than ever before or since—yet it was turned out of office by the Conservatives, who were a quarter of a million votes behind.
On top of all this, the Northern Ireland voter is powerless to express his mind on questions of the day. If he wants to maintain the Union, he has to vote for the one Unionist candidate in his con- stituency, no matter what may be that candidate's opinions on any other matter. If he were voting as they do in the Republic, he would be able to pick and choose among several Unionist candidates, and help to send back the one he thought most com- petent to deal with the questions that affect his own daily life.
The Electoral Reform Society,
ENID LAKEMAN
Albany institute, Creek Road, London, SE8
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