Speaker's corner: Peter Tatchell

IN the first of what will be a regular weekly series featuring the political views of prominent people, veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell forsees a close General Election. A key figure in the ongoing campaign for a larger nude sunbathing area

IN the first of what will be a regular weekly series featuring the political views of prominent people,

veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell forsees a close General Election.

A key figure in the ongoing campaign for a larger nude sunbathing area at the men's pond on Hampstead Heath, he believes the big issues will be the recession, the war in Afghanistan and MPs' expenses. Here is what he told us:

Tax will also be a talking point as well as public spending, climate change and unemployment. The outcome of the election is still very difficult to predict because a lot can change in a couple of weeks, never mind a couple of months.

I don't think it is certain Labour will lose. I hope there is a hung parliament with Labour as a majority party and that Labour do a deal with the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party and hopefully a few Greens as well.

One of the key elements of that deal is the abolition of the House of Lords and its replacement with a democratically elected chamber.

There must be a fair voting system for the House of Commons to ensure a representative parliament. The system is corrupt. I don't believe the next general election should go ahead on first past the post because it will produce another government with minority public support.

We have not had a government with a majority public support in Great Britain since the Second World War. It is political corruption of the highest order for parties with minorities in popular public support to win landslide majorities of seats. I absolutely think proportional representation would be better - no system is perfect but some form of PR would make every vote count and produce a far more representative parliament.