... none of them valid. It is true that, had we a proportional voting system in this country, every vote in the country would be equally vital. Nevertheless, no MP can take their electorate for granted: no seat is "safe" in perpetuity. In some countries, notably Australia, a simple solution to dwindling turnout has been found: compulsory voting. There is some agitation for the system to be introduced here. But we would not like to see it come to that. Elections should celebrate democracy: enforced celebrations tend not to sparkle. But if the idea is to be relegated to the dustbin, it falls on all of us to exercise our right to vote. If you don't like any of the names you see, then spoil your paper if you must. 02 November 2000 guardian Quite recently the Britain in Europe campaign did some polling to establish who, among well-known personalities, would be likeliest to ...

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