Besides prompting discussions about what Labour should do with its newfound power and how (and perhaps) the Conservatives can rebuild, the results have also reignited another debate – the debate about the UK’s ‘First Past the Post’ (FPP) electoral system.
In FPP, the candidate with the most votes in each electorate wins, even if most of the voters in that constituency voted against them. In this election, in which four or even five parties were competitive in some electorates, almost 40% of MPs were elected by less than 40% of local voters – more than twice the previous high.
At the national level, Labour won a little less than two thirds of the seats in Parliament on a little more than a third of the popular vote. The 30-point disparity between Labour’s share of votes and its share of seats arguably made this the most disproportionate election in British history.
A few other left-of-centre parties lost out because of FPP, with the Greens and the Scottish National Party winning only 1% of seats each on 7% and 3% of the national vote, respectively.
On the whole, though, it was the right that lost out. The Conservatives’ 24% share of the vote gave them only 19% of the seats in Parliament. More dramatically, Reform took 14% of the vote – and only 1% of seats. Reform needed more than 800,000 for each seat that it won. Labour needed less than 24,000.
It was the Liberal Democrats whose seat share (11%) most closely mirrored their share of the vote (12%) in this election – quite a turnaround for a party who have for so long been the big losers from FPP.
The Lib Dems were also traditionally the main proponents of electoral reform, with former leader Nick Clegg securing a referendum on introducing the Alternative Vote system in 2011. Right-leaning Brits, by contrast, have traditionally defended the FPP system for its relative simplicity and familiarity.
Now, with the likes of Nigel Farage touting electoral reform, the battle over the UK electoral system looks likely to continue – but with different forces on each side.
Dr James Kierstead is Senior Lecturer in Classics at Victoria University of Wellington.This article was first published HERE
In FPP, the candidate with the most votes in each electorate wins, even if most of the voters in that constituency voted against them. In this election, in which four or even five parties were competitive in some electorates, almost 40% of MPs were elected by less than 40% of local voters – more than twice the previous high.
At the national level, Labour won a little less than two thirds of the seats in Parliament on a little more than a third of the popular vote. The 30-point disparity between Labour’s share of votes and its share of seats arguably made this the most disproportionate election in British history.
A few other left-of-centre parties lost out because of FPP, with the Greens and the Scottish National Party winning only 1% of seats each on 7% and 3% of the national vote, respectively.
On the whole, though, it was the right that lost out. The Conservatives’ 24% share of the vote gave them only 19% of the seats in Parliament. More dramatically, Reform took 14% of the vote – and only 1% of seats. Reform needed more than 800,000 for each seat that it won. Labour needed less than 24,000.
It was the Liberal Democrats whose seat share (11%) most closely mirrored their share of the vote (12%) in this election – quite a turnaround for a party who have for so long been the big losers from FPP.
The Lib Dems were also traditionally the main proponents of electoral reform, with former leader Nick Clegg securing a referendum on introducing the Alternative Vote system in 2011. Right-leaning Brits, by contrast, have traditionally defended the FPP system for its relative simplicity and familiarity.
Now, with the likes of Nigel Farage touting electoral reform, the battle over the UK electoral system looks likely to continue – but with different forces on each side.
Dr James Kierstead is Senior Lecturer in Classics at Victoria University of Wellington.This article was first published HERE
1 comment:
Once again, Labour didn't voted in, the Conveservatives were voted out, proven by the pathetic turnout.
Post a Comment