electoral systems

• Why in recent decades has FPTP come under criticism?

  Successful use of other electoral systems in UK

  -AMS in Wales, Scotland, Greater London Assembly

  -STV in Northern Ireland

  -2000-2022 SV was used in London mayoral elections but following the Elections Act 2022 they have moved to FPTP
• What are the three types of electoral systems?


  majoritarian, proportional, plurality
• what is a party system?

  A party system is a description of how many parties have a significant no. of seats or influence in a political system
• David Cameron 2011


  "Britain is in real danger of exchanging an electoral system that works for one that we would come to regret profoundly"
• Key features of an election UK

  Liberal democracy promises free and fair elections

  -universal suffrage

  -regular elections

  -clear voter choice on ballot
• define plurality


  the number of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any other but does not receive an absolute majority.
• define absolute majority


  winner has more than 50% of the votes so more than the others combined
• what is a safe seat?

  A safe seat is where only one party is realistically expected to win e.g. Hertsmere for the conservatives
• what is a marginal seat?


  A seat that is close between two or more parties, it is uncertain which will win the next election.
• functions of electoral systems

  1. choose representatives

  2. citizen engagement

  3. holding politicians to account

  4.elections provide choice of policy and ideas

  5.education of voters

  6. elections provide a mandate
• how is the UK electoral system arranged?

  650 seats- one seat per constituency- one vote
• what is FPTP and how does it work?

  plurality system used in general, council, and mayoral elections in the UK. Citizens vote for a representative in their area and the party with the largest number of MPs becomes government
• advantages of FPTP


  -Fast and efficient

  -Costs less money

  -Clear to understand for electorate

  -Produces a two-party system

  -It allows for stable governments

  - single-party governments are less likely to collapse, so provide certainty and stability

  -Extremist parties are unlikely to get a foothold

  -It establishes the constituency link between MPs and voters- this is good representation
• disadvantages of FPTP


  -Not proportional or fair (candidates can get elected on minimal public support)

  -Votes effectively wasted- no link between party votes and no. seats

  -Votes unequal value compared to votes in marginal seat

  -Encourages tactical voting

  -Prevents new and small parties breaking into the system
• fixed term parliament act 2011

  elections must be held every five years however MPs can call a snap election if 2/3s agree like in 2017. Weak bill and Conservatives introduced new legislation (Dissolution ad calling of P bill) to effectively overturn it
• what is Additional Member System?

  AMS is a form of proportional representation which aims to give political parties a share of representatives (MSPs in Scotland) in proportion to their share of the vote. FPTP + PR = AMS. Hybrid of plurality and proportional system
• advantages of AMS


  -produces a broadly proportional outcome to fair to all parties-fairer

  -more choices

  -It combines preserving constituency representation with a proportional outcome

  -smaller parties can get representation

  -less wasted votes as if first vote isn't enacted second vote contributes overall
• disadvantage of AMS


  -Tends to produce coalition governments- compromise and difficulty passing bills

  -Conflict between constituency MPs and list MPs

  -Confusing system

  -Small parties have too much influence
• what is Single Transferable Vote?

  6 seats are available in each constituency

  Parties can put up to 6 candidates

  Voters rank candidates in preference

  At the count a formula is applied

  First preferences are then counted and candidates making the quota are selected. Last place is eliminated and then their second preferences are applied, and the process repeats until 6 candidates are found

  Proportional system
• advantages of STV


  - Proportional result

  - Voter choice

  - Greater representation
• disadvantages of STV


  -Leads to many coalitions

  -Takes a lot of time to process the votes

  -Can help candidates with extremist views rise easily

  -with multiple candidates, lines of accountability not clear

  -Complex so difficult for everyone to understand

  -Constituency link lost
• what is supplementary vote?

  a majoritarian voting system that allows voters to express a first and second choice between candidates if no candidate gets over 50% of the vote, the top two candidates continue to a run-off and all other candidates are eliminated.
• advantages of SV


  -The winning candidate can claim to have support of an overall majority

  -It is relatively simple for vote to underrated

  -Voter's first and second choice are relevant
• disadvantages of SV


  - Not proportional as only one winner

  - The winner does not need to get an absolute majority of the votes- false majority

  - Voters need to be able to guess top two to influence the outcome

  -wasted votes
• how does FPTP lead to manufactured majorities?

  -2019 Tories gained 48 seats despite only receiving 1.3% more of the vote

  -SNP gain seats in Scotland much easier- 2019- Labour despite gaining 18.6 half of SNP gained only one seat to the SNPs 48- essentially 1/3 of their seats were unearned
• how does FPTP freeze out smaller parties?

  -2019 Greens got 865k votes and 1 seats

  -25% of votes went to smaller parties and yet they only received 13% of seats

  -2015 UKIP got 3.8 mn votes and yet only won 1 seat
• how does FPTP waste votes?

  -promotes tactical voting- 22 million votes were either surplus to what was need it went to non-elected candidates

  -in 2019 45% of people did not vote for their MP

  229/650 constituencies had MPs that won on a minority
• impact of safe seats

  -wasted votes

  -less accountability and focus on constituency

  -low voter turnout

  in terms of nationwide

  -more ss more wasted votes

  -more ignorance of smaller parties
• impact of marginal seats

  -lots of attention

  -valuable votes

  -tactical voting
• Tamworth 2023


  -Labour regain control after 21 years

  23.9 % swing from Tory to Labour- second biggest by election swing since 1945

  -Chris Pincher- sexual assault allegations

  -Gave labour hope for other Brexit areas

  -Tories blamed low (35.9%) turnout

  labours positive vision and wake up call for tories
• Rochdale 2024


  -Former Labour MP George Galloway won his first seat in Commons for the Worker's party after heavy criticism of Starmer's stance on Gaza

  -Lrg population of British Asians and usually considered a labour/ lib dem marginal seat

  -Nearly 6000 maj
• more arguements FOR fptp

  -traditional system- change could have unforeseen circumstances

  -2011 people voted to retain it
• more arguments against FPTP

  -weakens doctrine of mandate as since 1945 winning parties have always received less than half popular supporteg. Labour 2005 won with 35%

  -2010 coalition and 2017 hung parliament
• 2011 AV referendum


  2011- No 68% Turnout 42%.

  Direct mandate from the electorate -the Coalition Agreement was agreed after the election and was therefore not a manifesto to be voted on by the public.
• why is AMS used UK?


  -Response in Scotland ands Wales to labour dominance

  -Helped electoral reform pledge by experimenting on devolved bodies

  -Benefits Tories as Labour struggles to gain seats in Scotland now and thus fail majorities

  -In Wales, Labour still dominate but need to compromise with other parties for a majority
• why have we not changed from FPTP?

  Labour and Conservatives benefit from it, New Labour abandoned their ledges after a landslide majority
• Reform effect on party system

  A PR system would very likely accelerate the move to voting for 3rd parties that has developed inconsistently over the last few decades.

  SV would make little impact given what is seen in the London mayoral elections but AMS or STV may give the Greens and Lid Dems a more proportional seat share - perhaps increasing funding for them.
• Reform effect on govt formation

  Multi-party govt would be the result of a PR system and may lead to the decline of the two big parties who have broad coalitions that may develop into multi-party blocs on the left and right. The practical need to work together in coalitions would be a new thing - the Lib Dem experience saw them get hammered in 2015 at the polls as people felt they had betrayed their principles.

  The less stable and decisive nature of govts would have to be set against the much more representative nature of the system and also that countries like Germany manage this well.

  SV could be a compromise as it would still have majority govts but it is hard to see how this would break 2 party dominance.
• reform effect on voters

  Note that AV was rejected in 2011 and despite polling showing support for PR at around 45% and FPTP at 30% for years it lacks salience for most voters.

  Voters would benefit from the sense that their vote more often led to a candidate being elected - particularly with STV and AMS

  However FPTP's strong constituency link is often cited as a bonus of what we have and to some extent PR systems can lesson this.
• do elections enhance democracy? Yes

  -will of people

  -political education

  -political participation

  -good for pluralism