• IF we want to tackle the rapidly escalating impact of global heating, we need an alternative to Britain’s FPTP, first-past-the-post, electoral system, which enables the big political parties to grab power based on empty promises without being held to account, (Proportional representation systems are problematic, June 2).

This is true both nationally and locally, where Tories and Labour jump on the climate bandwagon but then continue with business as usual once they’ve been elected (whether it’s David Cameron hugging huskies and Boris Johnson opening the COP26 climate conference, or Camden Labour declaring a climate and ecological emergency in 2019 and making exaggerated claims about their eco-credentials in the recent council elections).

Surveys by the United Nations and independent scientists show that countries leading on climate action, such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway, all have governments elected by proportional representation. This is because their ruling coalitions rely on Greens and other environmental parties to keep them in power.

We need fresh thinking if we are going to re-engineer our economies to protect the planet while caring for communities feeling the brunt of the cost of living crisis. It is not going to be easy but it will be nigh impossible if we continue to rely on tired, old-style, politics.

DEE SEARLE
One Vote for the Planet
https://onevotefortheplanet.uk