Letter: Tories too can benefit from voting reform

Sir: Your leading article of 9 January states: "Direct democracy unmediated by hearings of evidence, proper arguments, detailed information and constitutional safeguards can become a kind of tyranny itself." It seems that you are in favour not of real democracy, where everyone is entitled to an equal say in public affairs, but government by experts who know what is best for us.

The majority in Britain would bring back hanging tomorrow; however, if the ordinary person in the street were given direct-democracy powers he would rise to the responsibility. Don't give up on ordinary people: they know how to live and what sort of society they want to live in. They don't need politicians to guide them.

MURRAY PATON

Bourne End

Buckinghamshire