UK

• The Regional List Vote allows each region to elect 7 MSP’s for their region. The seats are allocated proportionally by taking into account the number of Constituency seats won by each party in that region. In this essay I will discuss how the AMS electoral system provides effective choice and fair representation to a certain extent, through proportionality, power to voters, stable government and providing a local link. 
• It can be argued that the AMS provides effective choice and fair representation in terms of proportionality.

  This means that smaller parties are usually given the number of seats roughly equal to the number of votes they received. 

  Evidence of this is in 2016, the Labour Party and Conservative Party (Scot) both got around 20% of the vote and each had around 20% of the seats in the Scottish parliament.
• However, it can be argued that AMS isn’t fair in representation because it may not be truly proportional.

  This means that the number of votes a party receives does not always equate to the number of seats they are given. 

  Evidence of this is that in 2016, the Lib Dems received 7% of the votes and The Greens received 4%, yet they gained one more seat than the Lib Dems.  

  Arguably, this shows that the AMS does not always represent parties proportionally, as it is not always consistent which can be problematic. 
• It can be argued that the AMS provides effective choice and fair representation in terms of the power of voters. 

  This means that citizen’s votes can help to gain regional seats for their favoured party even if that party doesn’t win in their constituency. 

  An example of this is that a Labour voter in Clydesdale constituency would’ve been disappointed by the SNP winning the seat in their constituency in 2021, but their vote would have helped towards gaining 3 Labour seats in the South Scotland region.
• However, it can be argued that AMS gives more power to the parties.

  This means that the parties get to decide which MSPs they put on their lists for the regional vote and the higher someone is on this list, the more likely it is they will remain an MSP.

  Evidence of this is that the SNP placed Emma Harper 1st on their regional list for the South of Scotland in 2021, and she remains the MSP today. 

  Arguably, this shows that the parties are given more influence as they can list in order which MSPs they wish to be elected, potentially limiting the choice of the public. 
• It can be argued that AMS provides effective choice and fair representation in terms of creating a stable government. 

  This means that smaller parties can influence government decision making, providing a better representation of the variety of the UK’s opinions.

  Evidence of this is that the SNP have had to make deals with the Greens in the past to pass their budget, giving these parties and their supporters more power. 
• However, it can be argued that this distribution weakens the government.

  This means that parties who received fewer votes can gain disproportionate influence even though most voters didn’t want them in power. 

  Evidence of this is that the Greens only received 4% of the vote in 2016, but were still able to assist the SNP (who had almost 50% of the vote) in passing their budget.  
• It can be argued that the AMS provides fair representation in terms of providing a local link. 

  This means that citizens are able to get in touch with their constituency MSP, to have local issues publicised to the government.

  An example of this is that people living in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth could contact MSP Jamie Hepburn via email or phone call. 

  Arguably, this shows that the system allows citizens to contact an MSP closer to home, giving them more of an opportunity to voice local concerns, providing them with fair representation.
• However, it can be argued that the AMS fails to provide fair representation because there are too many opinions to listen to.

  This means that there is a large number of MSPs in each region, therefore citizens may be confused on who to contact. 

  Evidence of this is that there are 7 SNP MSP’s, 6 Conservative and 3 Labour. (South Scotland regional list vote)

  Arguably this shows that the number of MSPs for each region can be overwhelming, resulting in people being unsure on whose opinions to listen to, therefore making it difficult for the public to be represented. 
•  

  In conclusion, the AMS provides effective choice and fair representation to some extent. While the public’s choice can be limited as parties with fewer votes can occasionally wield disproportionate influence on the government, nonetheless, it provides effective representation of the public as they are able to get in touch with many local MSPs for their region, allowing them to influence government decision making. Overall, the weight of evidence suggests that the AMS provides a decent amount of choice and representation for both parties and the public.