Evaluate The Argument That First Past The Post Is The Most Effective Electoral System Currently In Use In The United Kingdom

Introduction

• First Past The Post is the current electoral system used for UK Parliament elections and local council elections in England and Wales.

• It is a simple plurality system

• the system has come under particular scrutiny lately as the Gallagher Index, rated the 2024 General Election the least proportional election

Paragraph Focus

• Para 1 = FPTP vs Representation

• Para 2 = FPTP vs Voter Choice

• Para 3 = FPTP vs Type of Government Formed

Para 1 = Weaker Argument - Most Effective

• Eg. in December 2025, several MPs including Lake Akehurst (Labour) actively pressured Vodafone to address “unjust” treatment of local store franchise owners

• this shows that FPTP has very strong MP-constituency link as the MPs were able to to take and address issues of their constituents

• this delivers effective local representation, showing there is sufficient democratic input in political processes

• therefore, reforms have gone far enough as FPTP enhances rather than diminishing democracy within the UK

Para 1 = Stronger Argument - Not the Most Effective

• Eg. in 2024, the Labour Party won 63% of the seats and therefore commanding a majority with just 33.3% of the vote

• whereas in 2022, NI Assembly used STV where (eg.) Sinn Fein received 29% first preference votes and 30% of the seats

• this shows that FPTP is very ineffective as it leads to MPs being voted in when they don’t have majority support, encouraging a democratic deficit

• this means that proportional systems are more effective as seats are allocated so preference of all voters taken into account

Para 2 = Weaker Argument - Most Effective

• eg. in 2025 local elections, Reform UK won 677 councillors, Labour won 98, Greens won 79

• this shows that there is significant voter choice within first past the post as both small and mainstream parties gained significant amount of councillors

• this means that voters don’t vote based on 2 party dominance, but instead on ideological compatibility and governing competency

Para 2 = Stronger Argument - Not the Most Effective

• 2021 Scottish Parliament election eg., the Greens won just 1.29% of the constituency votes, but 8.12% of the top-up votes and got 8 seats.

• this shows that proportional systems offer greater voter choice

• this removes the need for tactical voting and gives smaller partier a better chance of winning seats, encouraging a pluralist democracy

• this is compared to FPTP where voter choice is very limited, prevent them from showing their political preferences fully

• Greater Lincolnshire, for example, was won by Reform in 2024 with 42% of the vote on a turnout of just 29%

Para 3 = Weaker Argument - Most Effective

• In 2024, Starmer’s Labour Party won a 174 seat majority with just 33.7% of the popular vote

• This shows that FPTP shouldn’t be replaced as it produces strong single-party governments that are able

• this means they have a strong mandate and are able to pass laws effectively eg. Employment Rights Act 2025

• This contrasts with more proportional electoral systems which are more prone to causing minority/coalition governments

• this makes it more likely to lead to compromised policies

Para 3 = Stronger Argument - Not the Most Effective

• while such government

  shutdowns are without doubt inconvenient, without a proportional system like STV, NI would

  be put into even more conflict. Due to the historical context of the Irish troubles, STV proves

  to be the only viable option fit for certain political environments like in NI. Furthermore, as the

  2010 general election produced a coalition government between the Conservatives and Lib

  Dems, the argument that FPTP always forms single party governments has lost its weight.

  This shows how strong single party governments have been produced previously through

  FPTP due to the clear ideological differences between the two main parties.

• STV almost always leads to coalition governments, as it is designed to do so. Whilst this can be seen as a benefit in Northern Ireland as it brings rival groups together, it also leads to governments that are prone to conflict and indecision.

• The Northern Ireland Executive and Parliament has often been suspended for long periods of time due to the inability of parties to agree.

• STV doesn't just lead to coalitions in Northern Ireland, it also does so in Scottish Local Elections, where after the 2022 elections 94% of councils had no overall control.