debate Flashcards
There has been much debate over whether or not FPTP should be ditched, what was formed in 2015?
the cross-party pressure group Make Votes Matter was formed and campaigned for a proportional not majoritarian electoral system for UK general elections
who did it bring together?
a number of groups and political parties which supported replacement of the electoral system.
By 2019 supporters included: the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, the SNP, the Brexit Party, Plaid Cymru and the Electoral Reform Society.
However, a quick glance at the parties who support the cause of electoral reform reveals what?
this is only partly a debate about democratic principles.
Each of these parties is handicapped in some way by FPTP, most notably the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party .
While the SNP and Plaid Cymru are not disadvantaged by the current system, they operate in a Westminster parliament normally controlled by one of the two main parties, therefore limiting their influence.
Proportional systems almost inevitably lead to?
permanent coalition governments.
Unsurprisingly, then, there are relatively few supporters of proportional representation (PR) on either the Labour or Conservative benches, since that would deny them, in all likelihood, the opportunity to form a majority government in the future.
Another key issue is the evidence that?
electoral systems have a potential impact not only on the nature of governments, making coalition/multiparty government far more likely, but also on voting behaviour
Many voters may
be reluctant to choose?
a candidate they feel stands no chance of winning, so may vote tactically for the least worst electable candidate. Many may decide not to vote at all and abstain
In European elections, which since 1999 have used a proportional system, Eurosceptic parties such as UKIP and the Brexit Party have fared much better than in general elections. Part of this can be
explained by the fact?
they stand far more chance of getting candidates elected, which in turn encourages Eurosceptic voters to plump for them. However, it must also be said that support for these parties might also
reflect a protest vote
