First Past The Post Flashcards
what is FPTP?
First Past The Post (FPTP) is a non-proportional electoral system and the most common electoral system used in the UK today
however, the continued use of FPTP in Westminster has led to decades of controversy, particularly about whether it produces a strong and stable government or not
arguments to suggest that FPTP produces a strong and stable government
tends to produce strong majorities
less likely to result in coalitions
fosters a strong link between MPs and constituents
arguments to suggest that FPTP does not produce a strong and stable government
has not produced strong majorities in recent years
has resulted in coalitions
the nature of the electoral system sometimes means that voters do not feel represented by their MPs and government, decreasing the strength and stability of the Westminster government
conclusion
historically, FPTP has produced strong and stable governments, but times have changed and it no longer seems to fulfil this role
therefore, it seems to be clear that FPTP does not produce a strong and stable Westminster government
produces large majorities: examples of governments with large majorities
throughout history, it has tended to produce strong and decisive majorities
for example, in 1983, the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher won a landslide victory, securing a 144 seat majority
similarly, in 1997, the Labour Party under Tony Blair ended nearly 2 decades of Conservative rule with an even larger landslide than Thatcher in 1983
they gained an astonishing 179 seat majority and went on to win 167 seats in the 2001 general election
produces large majorities: what do strong and decisive majorities allow the government to do?
this strength in the House of Commons has given these governments a clear mandate to carry out their manifesto pledges with little to no major pushback
nowhere is this clearer than in Tony Blair’s government, which had the undeniable strength and dominance to make major decisions and implement fundamental reforms
produces large majorities: examples of Tony Blair being able to make major reforms and decisions with his large majority
the government ended the right of all except 92 hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, which meant that now no party held a dominant position in the upper house as the majority of hereditary peers were Conservative supporters
Blair’s government also introduced the Human Rights Act 1998, which incorporated ECHR into UK statute law, enshrining rights such as the right to a fair trial and the right to privacy
this was possibly the most significant protection of human rights in the UK since the Magna Carta as the HRA is binding on all public bodies, including government, and all UK courts have an obligation to enforce it
consequently, the norm of FPTP seems to have been to provide stability within government, often with landslide majorities which have allowed for effective and strong governments
no longer produces large majorities: examples of governments with weak or no majorities
FPTP has not produced strong majorities in recent years, suggesting that perhaps FPTP no longer produces strong and stable Westminster governments
recent elections have demonstrated that the electoral system does not always lead to strength and stability
for example, no single party has been in office with a clear majority, except in 2015 – although this was only a 12 seat majority and the government did not last the full 5 years as Cameron resigned and May called a snap election, which she then went on to lose her majority in
in 2010, the Conservatives had to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats because they were 20 seats short of a majority
in 2017 the Conservatives were 8 seats short of a majority, resulting in a hung Parliament and a confidence and supply agreement with the DUP
no longer produces large majorities: what problems do small and weak majorities cause?
in the event that a government has a small majority or no majority at all, they tend to be seen as weak and unstable
for example, Theresa May has been severely undermined throughout the Brexit process
her lack of a majority has caused undeniable problems with the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, problems that may have been much easier to maintain and control had she had a majority in the Commons
no longer produces large majorities: even in the event of a majority, the government is no always strong
governments who have large majorities are not necessarily strong and stable
Gordon Brown had a large majority, but the final stages of his government were often seen as weak and unstable, rooting from his lack of clear vision and strong leadership
thus demonstrating that large majorities are almost meaningless if the prime minister isn’t also strong
less likely to produce coalitions: why is FPTP less likely to produce coalitions?
this is because it promotes a two party system which gives voters a clear choice and usually gives a clear majority to one party
less likely to produce coalitions: why is the reduced chance of a coalition a good thing?
negotiations: behind closed doors, time consuming
the decreased likelihood of a coalition is a positive feature of FPTP as coalitions mean that policies will be negotiated behind closed doors without letting the public have a verdict
such negotiations often take long periods of time
for instance, after the 2010 general election in Belgium, which uses a proportional system, it took almost 18 months to form a new government as party leaders had to bargain and negotiate to determine the outcome of the election as the results were not straightforward
less likely to produce coalitions: why is the reduced chance of a coalition a good thing?
coalitions are unstable
coalitions are also sometimes unstable if the party leaders disagree and have to negotiate for a long time, raising the possibility of them breaking down
however, FPTP does not tend to suffer from these problems, thus giving the governing party more strength and stability as they tend to enjoy decisive outcomes, allowing for a swift and orderly transfer of power
less likely to produce coalitions: even when FPTP has produced coalitions, these have been relatively stable
in the event that FPTP has produced a coalition, it has proven to be stable
the 2010 coalition lasted the full five years and was a relatively strong government
Cameron still managed to carry out many reforms, including further devolution to Scotland, Wales and England as well as introducing the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 and reforming the House of Commons through creating a Backbench Business Committee and allowing chairs of select committees to be elected by MPs rather than chosen by party leaders
has produced coalitions in recent years: examples
FPTP has begun to produce weaker majorities, increasing the chances of a coalition or some kind of informal agreement
for instance, in 2010, the Conservatives formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats and in 2017 the Conservatives struck a confidence and supply agreement with the DUP
this demonstrates that it is very much possible that the Westminster electoral system could produce coalition governments, which are weak and unstable, and it has begun to do so in recent years
