“The people”, as they say, “have spoken!” I won’t comment here on the actual results of last weeks elections. My concern is about the democratic process itself.

Here in Epping Forest District, we had a very respectable turnout. In most places it was around 40 per cent. and in some places as high as 51 per cent. In some parts of London, the percentage turnout for the Mayoral Elections was even higher.

There has been a lot of concern in recent years about the necessity to encourage people to vote. I share that concern. I think, however, that the Government have been wrong in their over enthusiasm for people to be on the Electoral Roll, whether they have a right or not. They are also wrong to make postal voting on demand so easy that fraud in postal voting becomes easy too.

I have raised this issue several times in the House of Commons, urging the Government to introduce individual voter registration. This would tighten the system considerably. The Government say they are in favour of it – but they have not actually done anything to introduce it. I wonder what they hope to gain by letting our once exemplary system of democracy fall into disrepute?

We should not have voting systems that are so complicated that the voter does not know exactly what will result from putting a cross on a ballot paper. Nor should we have a lax system of voter registration.

At the same time, we do need to give as many people as possible the opportunity to exercise their democratic choice. Last week’s turnout was not as high as it would be in a General Election but it was high enough to produce a fair reflection of the will of the people.

That is the right way to make sure that elected politicians of all parties are held to account.