FPTP

• FPTP is a plurality system, in which a candidate wins by having a majority of the vote
• Voters cast a single ballot in each of the 650 constituencies
• Advantage - easy to use (quick count) and easy to understand (increased turnout)
• Advantage - traditional ; 2011 referendum to replace FPTP with AV only had c. 30% turnout and 68% said no
• Advantage - should produce a strong, decisive, single-party government with a clear mandate ; resumed in 2019 when the Conservatives gained a 80-seat majority
• Advantage - clear link to area and constituencies so effective local representation
• Advantage - prevents small extremist parties from gaining representation ; 1997 Third Way -> parties more Centrist to appeal to a wider voter base
• Disadvantages - uneven constituenciy sizes and safe seats mean unequal vote value, e.g. 2019 East Ham Labour won with a margin of 33,000
• Disadvantages - gives an advantage to bigger parties with concentrated support
• Disadvantages - has failed to produce a strong single-party government recently. 2010-15 coalition, 2015 minority government. 2017 confidence-and-supply agreement which led to May suffering more defeats than her five predecessors put together
• Disadvantages - only a plurality needed which undermines democratic legitimacy. 2019 - MP Freer won despite not winning 50% of votes in costituency, only 44%
• Disadvantages - lack of real voter choice because Westminister is a two party system, leading to reduced turnout and tactical voting
• Disadvantages - reduced turnout ; 2001 59% because knew Labour would win
• Disadvantages - two party system; 2017 Lab + Cons had biggest vote share since 1970 -> 82%
• Disadvantages - tactical voting in 2015 to avoid a Lab-SNP coalition
• Disadvantages - winner's bonus -> biggest parties tend to win more than their proportional vote share
• Disadvantages - winner's bonus; 2019 Conservatives won 43% of the vote but 56% of seats
• Disadvantages - winner's bonus; since WWII no party has won over 50% of the vote but there has always been a majority in Parliament
• Disadvantages - winner's bonus; in 2019, 2017 and 2015 Labour and Cons overrepresented
• Disadvantages - plurality system leads to wasted votes. 70% of votes are wasted each election + in 2019 22.6m out of 32 million wasted
• Used in general election and London Mayoral Election (as of 2nd May 2024 elections)