I am a life-long Tory supporter. But when the parliamentary candidate for my city is, in my view, the best person for the job, then I vote for them.

I voted for Alex Lyon and I voted for Hugh Bayley.

I am not allowed this freedom of choice anymore. In the European elections I am obliged to vote for a party dictatorship.

How can I protest?

The only way I can see is to vote for one of the two extremes - either extreme left or extreme right.

This way the main parties who decide their cosy share-out of seats may feel threatened and change the system and restore my freedom and democratic rights.

Andy Clark,

Heslington Lane,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.