xElectoral systems examples
Rember key criteria- includes voter choice, representation and
proportionality, link between representative and represented and
type of government and politics
FPTP
In the 2025 local elections there was 162 local councils in England
with no overall control where coalitions are necessary. Now run by
coalition or minority administrations. Shows that FPTP doesn’t
always result in majority governments.
2024 election
The Labour Party won by a landslide, with 411 seats (63% of all
seats) and a 174 seat majority despite receiving just 33.7% of
the vote. This is a clear example of the winners’ bonus. In 2019,
they received 32.1% of the votes but just 202 seats.
The Liberal Democrats won a record 72 seats (11% of seats), with
12.2% of the vote. In 2019, the party received a very similar vote
share (11.6%) but just 11 seats
Reform UK received 14% of the vote but just 5 MPs (0.8% of
MPs).
The Green Party received 7% of the vote but just 4 MPs (0.6% of
MPs)
The reason for the success of labour and lib dems despite having
similar vote share is that they targeted marginal seats effectively.
Many voters supported whichever of the Labour/Lib Dem
candidate was most likely to win in their constituency, as their
highest priority was to remove the Tories. Pressure Group
MakeVotesMatter reported that in 2024 1/5 voters intended to
vote tactically.
In 2024, however, over 42% of voters didn’t vote for Labour or
the Tories, showing that there is no longer a two-party system in
voters’ preferences. Despite this, the FPTP system upheld a two-
party system in the results, with the two parties receiving 81.8%
of the seats with just 57.4% of the vote.
Advantages of FPTP
Speed and simplicity, first constituency result in 23:15
Sunderland south and Starmer arrived at downing street as
the new prime minister at 12:40
Creates strong single party governments – Starmer won 174
seats
, Voters can hold MP to account - Lizz Truss, for example, was
voted out in South West Norfolk with a huge 26.2% swing.
James Bagge, a former Conservative even won over 6,000
votes after running with the specific aim of taking votes away
from Truss.
Allows for candidates with strong local support to be elected-
shows effective Mp constituency link- re- elected in 2024
despite being an independent candidate as he had support in
Islington Northing having been an MP since 1983
Disadvantage
MPS are elected with limited support from constituency – Alex
Macintrye only got 35% of vote share, Terry Jermy elected in
south west Norfolk with 26.7% of the vote
Winners bonus- they only won 33.7%
Shows how marginal seats compared to safe seats-
Manchester Rusholme got a turnout of 40% and central devon
got 71.2%
In 2010, for example, the extreme right wing British National Party
(BNP) won 2% of the national vote, but didn’t finish higher than 3rd
in any constituency
AMS
Proportional- In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election for example,
the Greens won just 1.29% of the constituency votes, but 8.12% of
the top-up votes and got 8 seats
Takes longer – after the 2007 Scottish election it took two weeks for
the SNP minority government to be sworn in after failed coalition
talk
In the six Scottish governments since devolution, 3 have been
coalition governments, whilst 2 have been minority governments
On 26 April 2024, the Scottish government, which had been a
coalition between the SNP and Greens, broke down. ○ First Minister
Humza Youssaf decided to end the coalition agreements after the
Greens strongly criticised the SNP for abandoning a key climate
change target and pausing the prescription of puberty blockers to
new patients at Scotland's only gender services clinic for young
people. ● As a result, the Greens supported a no confidence motion
against Yousaf, who soon after resigned as party leader and First
Minister.
For example, in the 1999 Scottish Parliament election the
Conservative Party won 0 constituency MPs despite getting 15.6% of
the vote, but won 18 additional member seats in order to correct
this, leading to them receiving 14% of seats overall
Rember key criteria- includes voter choice, representation and
proportionality, link between representative and represented and
type of government and politics
FPTP
In the 2025 local elections there was 162 local councils in England
with no overall control where coalitions are necessary. Now run by
coalition or minority administrations. Shows that FPTP doesn’t
always result in majority governments.
2024 election
The Labour Party won by a landslide, with 411 seats (63% of all
seats) and a 174 seat majority despite receiving just 33.7% of
the vote. This is a clear example of the winners’ bonus. In 2019,
they received 32.1% of the votes but just 202 seats.
The Liberal Democrats won a record 72 seats (11% of seats), with
12.2% of the vote. In 2019, the party received a very similar vote
share (11.6%) but just 11 seats
Reform UK received 14% of the vote but just 5 MPs (0.8% of
MPs).
The Green Party received 7% of the vote but just 4 MPs (0.6% of
MPs)
The reason for the success of labour and lib dems despite having
similar vote share is that they targeted marginal seats effectively.
Many voters supported whichever of the Labour/Lib Dem
candidate was most likely to win in their constituency, as their
highest priority was to remove the Tories. Pressure Group
MakeVotesMatter reported that in 2024 1/5 voters intended to
vote tactically.
In 2024, however, over 42% of voters didn’t vote for Labour or
the Tories, showing that there is no longer a two-party system in
voters’ preferences. Despite this, the FPTP system upheld a two-
party system in the results, with the two parties receiving 81.8%
of the seats with just 57.4% of the vote.
Advantages of FPTP
Speed and simplicity, first constituency result in 23:15
Sunderland south and Starmer arrived at downing street as
the new prime minister at 12:40
Creates strong single party governments – Starmer won 174
seats
, Voters can hold MP to account - Lizz Truss, for example, was
voted out in South West Norfolk with a huge 26.2% swing.
James Bagge, a former Conservative even won over 6,000
votes after running with the specific aim of taking votes away
from Truss.
Allows for candidates with strong local support to be elected-
shows effective Mp constituency link- re- elected in 2024
despite being an independent candidate as he had support in
Islington Northing having been an MP since 1983
Disadvantage
MPS are elected with limited support from constituency – Alex
Macintrye only got 35% of vote share, Terry Jermy elected in
south west Norfolk with 26.7% of the vote
Winners bonus- they only won 33.7%
Shows how marginal seats compared to safe seats-
Manchester Rusholme got a turnout of 40% and central devon
got 71.2%
In 2010, for example, the extreme right wing British National Party
(BNP) won 2% of the national vote, but didn’t finish higher than 3rd
in any constituency
AMS
Proportional- In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election for example,
the Greens won just 1.29% of the constituency votes, but 8.12% of
the top-up votes and got 8 seats
Takes longer – after the 2007 Scottish election it took two weeks for
the SNP minority government to be sworn in after failed coalition
talk
In the six Scottish governments since devolution, 3 have been
coalition governments, whilst 2 have been minority governments
On 26 April 2024, the Scottish government, which had been a
coalition between the SNP and Greens, broke down. ○ First Minister
Humza Youssaf decided to end the coalition agreements after the
Greens strongly criticised the SNP for abandoning a key climate
change target and pausing the prescription of puberty blockers to
new patients at Scotland's only gender services clinic for young
people. ● As a result, the Greens supported a no confidence motion
against Yousaf, who soon after resigned as party leader and First
Minister.
For example, in the 1999 Scottish Parliament election the
Conservative Party won 0 constituency MPs despite getting 15.6% of
the vote, but won 18 additional member seats in order to correct
this, leading to them receiving 14% of seats overall
