FPTP UK electoral system Flashcards
easy to operate - positive
FPTP is not complicated and allows all citizens to be confident in voting as they can fully comprehend the process.
Evidence of this is that in the UK’s general election of 2019 the voter turnout was 67.3% (statista).
easy to operate - negative
some citizens may vote for a political party that they would not usually support in order to prevent another party from winning. - tactical voting
Evidence of this is that many people in central Ayrshire will have supported the conservative candidate but only with the intention of Philipa Whitfords agenda for independence to be unsuccessful .
extremism - positive
This means smaller parties with destabilising political views are denied representation.
Evidence of this is that in 2019 the fascist bnp party stood but gained only a few hundred votes meaning they will never get into parliament.
extremism - negative
This means that smaller parties are unable to win seats as their votes are spread sparsely across the entirety of the UK instead of being extremely concentrated in one area.
Evidence of this is that in the 2019 election, the Greens won around 900k votes spread across the UK, yet only one seat. In comparison to the SNP who won 48 seats with 1.2 million votes due to their support being heavily concentrated in Scotland.
strong government - positive
This means that parties tend to have a clear overall majority due to the system and therefore can provide effective leadership for the nation in line with their manifestos
Evidence of this is that since 1945 there have only been 3 governments that didn’t have a majority of seats in parliament after the election.
strong government - negative
This means that if the majority of seats are won then the government does not need to take into account any other parties ideas.
Evidence if this is that no government has won 50% of the vote since the 1930s in the election, yet almost always has the power to do what they wish with a majority in parliament
local link - positive
This means that due to the citizens of constituencies directly electing the representative, they know who to go to if a problem arises via their surgeries
Evidence of this is Philippa Whitford is the MP for central Ayrshire, the point of contact to the local citizens with Parliament and where they can voice their concerns
local link - negative
This means that at times the link does not hold the majority vote
Evidence of this is that only 46 voted for Phillipa Whitford in 2019 meaning that most people in central ayrshire did not vote for the MP they have
context for introduction?
The uk is a democracy in which the citizens have the right to vote. They do this through the use of the first past the post system.
