Sir, Saira Khan’s idea of direct democracy (Comment, Sept 4) is not a solution to voter apathy. We have many layers of government and referendums where people have the opportunity to vote, but people just do not participate. In recent years national election turnout stands at about 60 per cent, local elections about 50 per cent, European elections at about 30 per cent. Direct democracy will not solve the problem and will only attract those people who are interested in the proposed issues.

The solution lies in electing politicans who care about the people and their problems rather than solely being interested in their own career prospects. Politicians are whipped far too much to take the party line against the wishes of their constituents or they face ruining their aspirations of becoming ministers or being deselected. The existing system merely needs reformation, adding more voting is not a solultion.

VIRAL KATARIA
Northampton

Sir, If Tony Blair wants to leave office on a high, rather than meddle and tweak hopelessly at such enormous and long term issues as education, health and social reform, wouldn’t it be better for him to use the remainder of his time in attending to the disgrace of the ever increasing number of quangos and the obscene salaries paid to those who head them?

His government is not the first to create these often unnecessary panels, but it has been responsible for vastly adding to their numbers and their leaders who each pay themselves handsomely for achieving very little improvement in the lot of the underprivileged individuals for whose welfare they speak. We need a review of a system whereby “advisors” are created to investigate anomalies that are often already abundantly clear to all who work at the “coal face” and which could soon be rectified by the application of a little practical or common sense.

MICHELE GROSS
Bath

Sir, It would be wholly without precedent for an incumbent prime minister to announce the prospective date of his retirement in advance.

Prime ministers leave office either because they lose a general election (Attlee in 1951, Callaghan, Major etc) or because they are ousted by their own party (Margaret Thatcher) or because they resign without prior notice (Churchill in 1955, Wilson in 1976).

A lame duck prime minister working out his period of notice would be a disaster for the country.

ROBIN HOWARD
Croydon, Surrey

Sir, Any capitulation by Mr Blair to the thuggish behaviour of those MPs on Labour’s left, determined to hound him out of office (and who owe their seats to his electoral success), would be an egregious betrayal of the democratic process. Many voted Labour in the last election precisely to retain Mr Blair’s services as PM.

Margaret Thatcher, in a weak moment, succumbed to similar pressure and her party was subsequently punished by three electoral defeats.

The only honourable course of action of those MPs intent on removing Mr Blair before time would be to call for a general election.

ROSLYN PINE
Manchester

Sir, Amid all the hoo-ha surrounding the timing of Tony Blair's resignation one salient point seems to have been forgotten. Before the previous election, he made a solemn pledge that he would serve a full third term. Indeed, this influenced my decision not to vote Labour at the time.

DANIEL GOLDBERG
Oakley, Bucks

Sir, Many years ago our televisions showed a programme imported from the USA called The Gong Show. The premise was simple: would-be entertainers performed until either the end of their act or a bang on a large gong by the adjudicator when he could stand no more. The artist had to leave the stage immediately or be dragged off.

Would not the installation of a gong in Downing Street serve a similar, useful purpose?

MICHAEL BROWN
Highbridge, Somerset

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