First Past the Post: the pros and cons of the electoral system- Phoebe G:

Current affairs Politics School 8GrahaP June 20, 2024 0 Comments

As I’m sure you are all very much aware, helped by the plethora of election-related paraphernalia around the school site, there is an upcoming general election, scheduled for Thursday 4th of July 2024. Whilst the vast majority of the student body are not eligible to vote, as has been stressed on numerous occasions, it is vital for us all to keep up-to-date with current affairs, so that when the time comes to vote, we are well-informed. But…how does it all work?

First Past the Post (FPTP)– Plurality:

The FPTP system is termed as being a plurality voting system, meaning that the candidate with the most votes will win the election, no matter what percentage of the votes they get, this is used by the UK. For example, take four candidates, named A, B, C + D. If A has 40 votes, B has 35 votes, C has 20 votes and D has 5, Candidate A would win because they had the highest number of votes.

VS

Majority Voting System:

A majority voting system is slightly different, but the clue is in the name. A candidate can only win the election if they have the majority of the votes, that is over 50%.

Pros of FPTP:

Simplicity: The FPTP system is easily understood and pretty familiar with the population. Voters were given the chance in the 2011 Alternative Vote referendum to scrap the system, but the public chose to keep it.
Direct Representation: Each elected MP represents a specific area, helping to foster and encourage a great link between constituents and their elected officials.

Cons:

Disproportionate Results: Perhaps the most significant of all limitations to the FPTP system is the disproportionate results between a party’s percentage of votes and the number of seats they win in parliament. In 2019 in particular, there was a huge “leader’s bonus” of seats to the Conservative Party. This has meant that the result in parliament does not accurately represent or reflect the overall public vote.
Underrepresentation: Certain groups or regions may feel underrepresented through this system if they consistently support losing candidates or parties, who are unlikely to gain seats.

This is merely a very generalised overview of the voting system, so I would therefore encourage all of you to read more on the topic of FPTP and see if you can gain an understanding of the opinion of the general public, on what has commonly been termed an outdated and traditional system.