VOTING

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The idea of a nine-member cabinet with the UKIP councillor holding the balance of power is both innovative and interesting. But, of course, the power-crazed Socialist councillors will not consider it. Theirs is elected dictatorship in keeping with their counterparts in Westminster!

Am I the only one who hopes that Derby City Council remains "hung" for the foreseeable future? Look at the record:

A 48% increase in council tax in just six years;

Quad;

Lack of a permanent green filter arrow from Market Street to Kedleston Road;

University parking;

Garbage collections reduced to once a fortnight;

Riverlights;

Garbage dumped in Green Lane;

Flooding in central Derby;

Gridlock whenever snow falls in the city centre.

Mind you, the city council is mighty swift at finding excuses or someone else to blame! Oh, and what's the betting that once Margaret Beckett approves charges, by weight, for any "unsorted" garbage, that means anything in your black wheelie bin, the rampant Socialists on the city council will be first in line to impose charges destined to increase above the rate of inflation every year. Colin Clark

The Electoral Commission has recommended that the idea of all-postal elections be scrapped. In its report, the Electoral Commission claims that, despite increased turnouts, the all-postal voting pilots were marred by problems. It says that the complexity of the voting method, logistical issues and reports of abuse or fraud resulted in a lessening of public confidence. As a result, the election watchdog says, all-postal voting should "no longer be pursued." Michael Foote, returning officer for Derby City Council, said, "In a sense, they're saying we should revert to the old system, but I'm waiting to see the detailed report." He added that the "significant" increase in turnouts in the all-postal ballots "couldn't be ignored."

About three million people will not be able to vote in the forthcoming general election because they are not on the electoral register, according to MPs. Those most likely to miss out are young people or those from ethnic minorities, a report by two MPs committees found. It said urgent changes, such as fines for unregistered voters, should be considered to boost turnout. It also called for measures to cut fraud, such as individual, rather than household, registration. A new national electoral roll, based on locally-maintained registers, should also be created, it said. But it said incentives to register, such as £20 council tax rebate, were likely to be seen as "gimmicks".

The number of eligible voters absent from the register has increased in recent decades to about three million, said the report. Figures for the 2001 general election suggest 29% of people aged between 18 and 24, and 19% of black voters were not on the electoral roll. The government has looked at ways of boosting voter turnout, which fell to 59% in the last general election in 2001. But trial all-postal ballots in four English regions were hit by delays and some fraud allegations. The Electoral Commission later recommended they should not be used in UK elections, but said it was too early to say whether fraud increased. The report was drawn up by two committees scrutinising the work of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA).

It said that, with the growth of postal voting, there was a strong case to tighten up fraud protection by requiring voters to register themselves as individuals, rather than as households. And some say young people in shared accommodation miss out because no one acts as head of the household to fill in the form. But individual registration should be treated carefully as 12% of voters disappeared from the electoral roll in Northern Ireland when it was introduced in 2002, it said. The Labour chairman of the ODPM committee, Andrew Bennett said it should be quickly introduced as it could "dramatically reduce the chances of fraud".

But Liberal Democrat MP Alan Beith, who chairs the DCA committee, said it should be delayed "until measures likely to increase registration have been put in place and proved effective." Fines for those who do not register should be considered, but could be expensive and difficult to enforce, the report found. But tax rebate incentives risked undermining the integrity of the system, MPs said. Instead they called for "imaginative campaigns" to boost interest. Shadow Constitutional Affairs Secretary Oliver Heald said the current electoral roll system was inadequate.

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