I note that our MP Richard Drax has once again excelled himself in the Echo (November 26).

First of all, he shows no sympathy for his constituents who are unemployed, effectively suggesting they ‘get on their bikes’.

I suppose that could be a valid approach if your intention is to make Weymouth a ghost town, but I think an MP’s role is to ‘get off their backside’ and fight for the interests of the constituents in his constituency.

As I have previously mentioned in these columns, this appears to be something Mr Drax does not see as being in his job description as an MP.

Mr Drax’s predecessor may have had his faults, but at least he fought on local issues.

Perhaps living on a country estate near Wimborne isolates you from the needs of your constituents.

But if this is the case, are you suitable to represent the people of South Dorset? In another article in the Echo on the same day, Mr Drax publicises the fact that he does not agree with the idea of a more democratic system of election – the Alternative Vote – which is to be the subject of a referendum next May.

His view is that there is no need to ‘tamper’ with a system which has ‘served this country well’ for hundreds of years.

This just illustrates what is so wrong about the apparently complacent attitude of our MP.

Or maybe it is because the current system favours the Conservative and Labour parties over the smaller parties in a very unrepresentative way. Luckily there is a debate afoot on this issue, which is being led locally by a non-politically aligned group called Fair Votes for Dorset.

This group was formed well before the announcement of a referendum on the Alternative Vote system to promote a fairer system of election both at a local and a national level.

To my mind there is no doubt that the Alternative Vote system would be an improvement on the current system for the election of MPs.

I would urge everybody to at least look at the issue and make up their own mind.

Fair votes for Dorset will be holding events to enable people to understand the AV system and why it is so much better than the current ‘First Past the Post’ system.

To obtain further information on the Alternative Vote system or for details of events, or indeed to join our group, please visit www.fairvotesfordorset.wordpress.com.

Andrew Pegg, High Street, Wyke Regis