Evaluate the view various electoral systems in use in the UK make a difference to party
representation
Strong and stable gov/ voter choice
Para 1 - FPTP
They do They do not
- FPTP is designed to allow a one - Duopoly has been in decline
party rule which is clear in 2019 - 2010 coalition with Con and LibDem
election with Boris Johnson winning - 2017 power sharing agreement with
majority of 78 Con and DUP due to conservatives
- Leads to duopoly which has being 9 short of a majority
consistently been between Labour - Minor parties coming into more
and Con (either party has been prominent positions
winning the most seats)
- Electoral Commission showed that
in 2019 election, whereas Con need
38,300 for a seat, minor parties like
Green needed 865,000
- Notorious for disproportionately
highlighted by how in 2016 Cameron
won 50.9% seats with 36.9% votes
Para 2 - AMS
They do They do not
- Party representation to lead to - SNP won a majority in 2011
coalitions due to hybrid system - Single party dominance
- Variety of party arrangements - Wales dominated by Labour
- SNP/Greens power sharing - SNP dominates Scotland since 2007
agreement in 2021 scotland - 2/3s of seats in Wales are
- Cons are a minority in devolved determined by FPTP
areas due to regional top up list - 56/129 seats in Scotland are FPTP
- More proportional: Scotland 2016, - Want more proportionality but is it
max difference between MSPs really due to FPTP element
elected and returned was 5%
2021 - SNP won 47.7% vote gaining
49.6% seats
Para 3: STV
They do They do not
- Coalitions are guaranteed due to - Seems adversarial like FPTP due to
power sharing built in via Good Sinn Fein vs DUP dominating
Friday Agreement in 1998 system
- Between Sinn Fein and DUP - Ulster Unionist Party and SDLP
- Parties like Alliance have gained have less influence
due to this system as STV aims to
boost minor parties (3rd most votes
in 2022
, Evaluate the view that changing the electoral system would give more power to minor parties
FPTP does not restrict minor parties:
- 2017 hung parliament between DUP and Conservatives
- Duopoly has been in decline as seen via coalition between Conservatives and
LibDems
FPTP does restrict minor parties:
- Has been dominated by Conservative and Labour
- 2017 - Conservative and Labour won 89% seats
- 2019 - Conservative and Labour won 87% seats
- Electoral Commission noted in 2019 that whilst it takes 38,300 votes to elect a
Conservative MP on average but it would take 865,000 to elect a Green MP
- 2019 - Green Party won 1 seat despite winning 3% votes
STV does not give influence to minor parties:
- Used in Northern Ireland, has led to dominance of Sinn Fein and DUP
STV does give influence to minor parties:
- Under FPTP, UKIP with 3.9m votes in 2015 had 1 seat under FPTP but under STV,
would have been 54 seats
- Preferred by Electoral Reform Society
- Good Friday Agreement has strived to always lead to coalitions
- 2022 mayoral elections: Alliance party gained 3rd largest amount of seats
AMS does not give influence to minor parties:
- Welsh Labour dominate Welsh Senedd (1 short of majority in 2021)
AMS does give influence to minor parties:
- Green party in power sharing agreement in 2021 as SNP were 1 short of a majority
- After 2011, not Labour or Conservative dominating devolved areas but SNP instead
- SNP had majority in 2011 in Scotland possibly due to calls for independence
- If 2019 election was under AMS, electoral reform calculated that Green Party would
have 38 seats instead of just 1 and Brexit party would have 12 instead of none
representation
Strong and stable gov/ voter choice
Para 1 - FPTP
They do They do not
- FPTP is designed to allow a one - Duopoly has been in decline
party rule which is clear in 2019 - 2010 coalition with Con and LibDem
election with Boris Johnson winning - 2017 power sharing agreement with
majority of 78 Con and DUP due to conservatives
- Leads to duopoly which has being 9 short of a majority
consistently been between Labour - Minor parties coming into more
and Con (either party has been prominent positions
winning the most seats)
- Electoral Commission showed that
in 2019 election, whereas Con need
38,300 for a seat, minor parties like
Green needed 865,000
- Notorious for disproportionately
highlighted by how in 2016 Cameron
won 50.9% seats with 36.9% votes
Para 2 - AMS
They do They do not
- Party representation to lead to - SNP won a majority in 2011
coalitions due to hybrid system - Single party dominance
- Variety of party arrangements - Wales dominated by Labour
- SNP/Greens power sharing - SNP dominates Scotland since 2007
agreement in 2021 scotland - 2/3s of seats in Wales are
- Cons are a minority in devolved determined by FPTP
areas due to regional top up list - 56/129 seats in Scotland are FPTP
- More proportional: Scotland 2016, - Want more proportionality but is it
max difference between MSPs really due to FPTP element
elected and returned was 5%
2021 - SNP won 47.7% vote gaining
49.6% seats
Para 3: STV
They do They do not
- Coalitions are guaranteed due to - Seems adversarial like FPTP due to
power sharing built in via Good Sinn Fein vs DUP dominating
Friday Agreement in 1998 system
- Between Sinn Fein and DUP - Ulster Unionist Party and SDLP
- Parties like Alliance have gained have less influence
due to this system as STV aims to
boost minor parties (3rd most votes
in 2022
, Evaluate the view that changing the electoral system would give more power to minor parties
FPTP does not restrict minor parties:
- 2017 hung parliament between DUP and Conservatives
- Duopoly has been in decline as seen via coalition between Conservatives and
LibDems
FPTP does restrict minor parties:
- Has been dominated by Conservative and Labour
- 2017 - Conservative and Labour won 89% seats
- 2019 - Conservative and Labour won 87% seats
- Electoral Commission noted in 2019 that whilst it takes 38,300 votes to elect a
Conservative MP on average but it would take 865,000 to elect a Green MP
- 2019 - Green Party won 1 seat despite winning 3% votes
STV does not give influence to minor parties:
- Used in Northern Ireland, has led to dominance of Sinn Fein and DUP
STV does give influence to minor parties:
- Under FPTP, UKIP with 3.9m votes in 2015 had 1 seat under FPTP but under STV,
would have been 54 seats
- Preferred by Electoral Reform Society
- Good Friday Agreement has strived to always lead to coalitions
- 2022 mayoral elections: Alliance party gained 3rd largest amount of seats
AMS does not give influence to minor parties:
- Welsh Labour dominate Welsh Senedd (1 short of majority in 2021)
AMS does give influence to minor parties:
- Green party in power sharing agreement in 2021 as SNP were 1 short of a majority
- After 2011, not Labour or Conservative dominating devolved areas but SNP instead
- SNP had majority in 2011 in Scotland possibly due to calls for independence
- If 2019 election was under AMS, electoral reform calculated that Green Party would
have 38 seats instead of just 1 and Brexit party would have 12 instead of none
