Sir – Jon Barton identifies correctly the intimidating and ever more intrusive behaviour of British governments in what is supposed to be a “great democracy”, in his particular example being placed on a police intelligence database just for crossing the street to join a peaceful demonstration (Letters, May 28).

As we went to the polls in a supposedly free and democratic election, it may be worthwhile to remind your readers that, like all elections within living memory, both local and national, this too was in breach of the Representation of the People Act, which requires elections to be secret.

Officials at all polling stations marked the back of each voting slip with a serial number uniquely linked to the individual voter’s name and address on the register.

This can be used to trace the vote of each and every person in the country. Jon Barton mentions East Germany.

The practice described above comes straight from the rule-book of such totalitarian states.

Our Government may not abuse this system for illegal purposes (although who can tell for sure?), but it is worth remembering that often throughout history, totalitarian regimes succeeded free and democratic ones by subverting the letter and the spirit of the laws designed to prevent this eventuality. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. This is no less true in Britain now than it was in Weimar.

John Kinory, Steeple Aston