The party system in Westminster over the years

1979-2019

• Two-party system in terms of seats

• Multi-party system in terms of votes

2017-2019

• Two-party system in terms of seats

• Two-party system in terms of votes

2024

• Two-party system in terms of seats

• Multi-party system in terms of votes

Reasons for the two-party system in terms of seats

• FPTP prevents smaller parties from converting their votes into seats

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 1979

• 95.8% seats

• 80.8% votes

• 11 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 1983

• 93.3% seats

• 70% votes

• 23 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 1987

• 93% seats

• 75.1% votes

• 22 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 1992

• 93.2% seats

• 77.5% votes

• 20 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 1997

• 88.4% seats

• 75.5% votes

• 46 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 2001

• 87.8% seats

• 72.4% votes

• 52 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 2005

• 85.6% seats

• 67.5% votes

• 62 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 2010

• 86.9% seats

• 65.1% votes

• 57 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 2015

• 86.7% seats

• 67.3% votes

• 56 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 2017

• 89.2% seats

• 82.4% votes

• 35 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 2019

• 87.2% seats

• 77.6% votes

• 48 seats won by 3rd largest party

% of seats and votes won by 2 main parties + largest 3rd party seats - 2024

• 81.9% seats

• 75.7% votes

• 64 seats won by 3rd largest party