CONGRATULATIONS to Marie Rimmer on effectively securing herself the right to be the next MP for St Helens South and Whiston, following a vote of a mere 200 party members.

The prospect of the town's ‘first woman MP’ is not merely a possibility, but a near certainty. Last week’s Star suggests that ‘an interesting race for the St Helens South and Whiston seat awaits’- nothing could be further from the truth.

The chances of anyone other than Labour winning here for the first time since 1931 are as remote as St Helens Town winning the FA Cup. There is no serious contest here, simply a procession towards the finish line (and, inevitably, a nice job in Westminster). This is one of the safest of safe seats.

It seems that a democratic system which effectively gives the real power in electing MPs to a minute number of party members is no longer fit-for-purpose. Given that senior local Labour Party councillors only months ago were telling us Marie Rimmer was not suited to leading the council, they have now to all intents and purposes imposed her on us as our MP. If democracy is undermined when power is concentrated in the hands of a few activists, and indeed by the existence of ‘safe seats’, then it is affronted by the unnecessarily discriminatory use of an all-woman shortlist.

What is the solution? Changing the electoral system would help but there are clearly too many vested interests.

Open primaries, while far from perfect, at least put engagement, voter participation and democratic values ahead of party self-interest.

Personally, I will not be voting in 2015. Firstly, in safe seats there is no prospect of influencing the outcome. Secondly, I'd like the opportunity to vote for a Labour candidate who appears to represent my interests, rather than a millionaire former Tory or a woman whose time has come and gone - both who were foisted shamelessly upon us by a Labour Party that cares little for genuine democracy.

Ellen Sutton,

Parr