The Electoral System

Question 1

The Prime Minister appointment

Answer 1

appointed by the monarch, through the exercise of the royal prerogative. In the UK political system, Prime Ministers are therefore not elected by the people. But Prime Ministers must be the Leaders of the political party that holds the largest number of seats in the House of Commons.

Question 2

last General Election

Answer 2

2019, Conservative Party with Boris Johnson who resigned in 2022

Question 3

General Election

Answer 3

• A General Election for a renewed House of Commons can only be held after the HOC has been “dissolved”.
• The decision on when to hold a general election is made by the Prime Minister

Question 4

Parliament dissolved

Answer 4

Parliament is dissolved either by a royal proclamation or because the maximum term between elections (five years) has expired.
The Prime Minister ask the monarch to dissolve parliament

Question 5

Who can be elected MPs?

Answer 5

• Any person aged 21 or over who is a British citizen, citizen of another Commonwealth country or of the Irish Republic resident in the UK.
• People disqualified include those who are bankrupt, sentenced to more than one year’s imprisonment &
  Members of the clergy, of the House of Lords
  & a range of public servants and officials

Question 6

How to be elected MP

Answer 6

Voted in your constituencies

Question 7

What are the problems when it comes to Parliamentary Representation?

Answer 7

• The size of constituencies
• the relative majority of “FPTP”

Question 8

The size of constituencies

Answer 8

• The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 aimed to reduce the over-representation in some constituencies compared to others.
• On average UK Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales have smaller populations → 77,000 for one constituency compared to 100,500 in England.
• Predominantly urban “boroughs’ constituencies have an average population size of 105,000 while the more rural “county” constituencies have a mean population size of 95,000

Question 9

What solution for the size of constituencies

Answer 9

The 2010 Coalition Government proposed to reduce the number of constituencies from 650 to 600 at 75,000 electors each.
it didn’t happen.

Question 10

Relative majority of “FPTP”

Answer 10

‘First Past the Post’ principle

The British electoral system is based on the relative majority method. It means the candidate with the highest number of votes in the constituency is elected Member of Parliament, or MP, for that area. (which means people vote for the most likely to pass rather than their favourite)

Question 11

Solution to the “FPTP”

Answer 11

Alternative vote (AV) = ranking the candidates in your order of preference, so all candidates are included.

The Lib-Dems are supporting that.
But the Lib-Dems urged a referendum in 2011 concerned whether to replace the present FPTP system with the alternative vote (AV) method. This proposal was rejected by the electorate (67% no).