Electoral systems

• STV

  Fairness of Outcome

  • Results are highly proportional (2022: DUP, 25 seats 21% vote | Sinn Fein, 27 seats, 29% vote
  • Results are not directly proportional (2022: Alliance party, 17 seats 13% vote)
• STV

  MP Link

  • Each voter is likely to have a representative with similar views to their own as lots of parties are represented (2022, 9 different parties)
  • Weak MP Link ( multi member constituency: 6 representatives, 18 constituencies
• STV

  Strength/type of government

  • coalition government has worked on a whole with conflicting parties able to compromise despite ideological tensions (7 elections since 1998- coalition government is formed every time)
  • Has created a weak government in recent times (Instability after 2022 election due to disagreements between DUP and Sinn Fein stopped a government from forming)
• STV

  Choice of Candidates

  • A wide range of candidates with smaller parties consistently given seats ( 2022: Alliance - 17 seats | SDLP - 8 seats | UUP - 9 seats)
  • DUP/ Sinn Fein will always form government (1998 Belfast Agreement which means both sides have to form government)
• FPTP

  Fairness of Outcome

  • Allows party with the most seats to form a majority government and the winner gets to implement policy (2024: Labour won 412 seats with 174 majority
  • Votes are not distributed evenly (2024: Labour won 34% of the national vote but took 63% of the seats)
• FPTP

  MP Link

  • Popular MP's who know their area retain seats despite national trends (2024 election: Nigel Farage won Clacton with 46.2% of votes despite Reform UK only gaining 5 seats )
  • Many MP's have a small mandate so they don't represent the whole constituency (2024 election: David Pinto-Duchinsky won by 15 votes in Hendon
• FPTP

  Choice of Candidates

  • Marginal Seats gives option to change MP at elections (223 seats out of 650 were won by a margin of less than 10%)
  • There are many safe seats where MP's do not change (2024 election: Labour's Peter Dowd won Bootle with the largest majority of the election a Labour seat since 1945
• FPTP

  Strength/ Type of Government

  • Traditionally creates a majority (Blair 1997: 179 majority, Johnson 2019: 80 majority, Starmer 2024: 174 majority)
  • Has recently created weaker governments (2015- Conservative -17 majority, 2017 Conservatives forced to make a confidence and supply deal with DUP)
• SV

  Fairness in outcome

  • Winner has support of the majority (2021: Sadiq Kahn Lab-55.2%)
  • Outcome is not always decisive and close results between top two opponents exist (West Midlands 2024 Mayoral election: Richard Parker Labour 37.8%- Andy Street Conservative 37.5%)
• SV

  MP Link

  • The outcome creates a clear accountable winner (Second round votes London Mayoral Election 2021: Sadiq Kahn Labour 55.2%- Shaun Bailey Conservative 44.8%)
  • Voters of smaller parties could feel their voice never represented (Green Party and Lib Dems have never been in the final 2)
• SV

  Choice of Candidates

  • voters get a first and second preference allowing for more flexibility and choice (London 2021 Mayoral election had 13 candidates who all received votes)
  • Large parties continue to win (2000-2004 Labour Ken Livingston, 2008-2012 Conservative Boris Johnson, 2016-2021 Labour Sadiq Kahn)
• AMS

  Fairness of Outcome

  • Regional result increases party representation by remedying wasted votes. (2021 Senedd Election in South Wales Central: Labour, 40.1%, 0 regional seats- Conservatives, 22.1%, 2 regional seats)
  • Still creates disproportionate outcome ( 2021 Senedd Election: Labour, 39.9%, 30 seats- Conservatives, 26%, 11 seats)
• AMS

  Strength / type of government

  • Even without a majority, can form stable coalitions (Since Scotland's devolution only 1 majority government in 2011)
  • Minority governments are created and they are weak ( 2021 Scottish Parliament election: SNP 64 seats, minority government)
• AMS

  MP Link

  • Popular constituency MS can retain their seats (Kirsty Williams elected as the only Lib Dem MS in 2016 despite poor Lib Dem results across Wales)
  • Regional MS have a weaker link to the area and arguably less legitimacy (2021 Welsh Parliament Election- Delwyn voted 48.6% Labour in the constituency vote but had 3 not Labour MS's in their region.)
• AMS

  Choice of Candidates

  • Smaller parties have performed well in these elections than in Westminister (2021 Scotland- Green Party won 8 seats and entered a power sharing deal with SNP)
  • Majority parties retain the most seats (Labour consistently poll in the most votes since 1997 in Wales)