elections in the uk

main elections in the uk:

  • general elections: parliamentary elections in which all the seats in the House of Commons come up for re-election

  • devolved assembly elections: elections to Scottish n Welsh parliaments + NI assembly; fixed term, every 4 years (although 5 years under exceptional circumstances, eg covid 2020)

  • local elections: elections to district, borough n county councils; include elections to the GLA, LA

key feaures of uk elections:

  • universal adult suffrage

  • one person, one vote

  • secret ballot

  • competition between political

why is an election different from a referendum?

elections

referendums

fill office/form government

make policy decisions

vote for candidate/party

select yes/no option

general issues

specific issue

held regularly

ad hoc (decided by government)

representative democracy at work

direct democracy at work

main functions of elections:

  • representation:

    • Elections are a link between politicians and their constituents, articulating and addressing their concerns - though some systems have a better constituent link than others.

    • Establishes a more general link between government and public opinion – elections make governments publicly accountable and therefore ultimately removeable.

  • form governments:

    • elections are the primary method for forming governments and transferring power from one government to another.

    • in the UK, the government is composed of leading members from the majority (or largest) party in the House of Commons.

  • upholding legitimacy:

    • By participating in elections, the electorate offer their implicit consent to obey the law and respect the system of government. In short, citizens ‘consent’ to being governed.

other functions:

  • holds current reps to account

  • legitimising political power

  • limiting the power of elected reps and the govt

  • development of political policy

  • selection of political elite

do elections enhance or hinder UK democracy?

  • issue one: forming govts

    • general elections serve to transfer power from one govt to the next in a peaceful way

    • however, elections may not always be successful in removing govts

      • fptp only worked twice in last 4 elections; 2010 & 2017 govts had to be formed by making deals

  • issue two: representation

    • elections are a vital channel of communication between govt and the people

    • however, doubts exist about the effectiveness of elections in ensuring running representation

  • issue three: participation and legitimacy

    • elections play a crucial role in enabling participation which makes elections legitimate

    • elections may not always be successful in upholding legitimacy

  • issue four: education

    • elections educate the public as one of their key functions

    • elections may miseducate the public with ‘half truths’ and ‘fake news’

majoritarian systems

plurality systems

proportional representation

mixed system

•Systems where the winning candidate must secure an absolute majority (50%+1) to get elected.

•First Past the Post is often referred to as this but strictly, this is not the case.

•Sharing the characteristics of a majoritarian system, this is where the winner needs a plurality of the votes cast (i.e. one more than their nearest rival.

•Therefore ‘First Past the Post’ is strictly a single-member plurality system

•Covers the many systems that produce a close fit between voters and seats although no system can deliver perfect proportionality

•A system which combines elements of plurality or majoritarian systems with that of proportional representation.

comparing systems:

majoritarian

pr

a candidate must secure an absolute majority or plurality of votes to win

candisate are elcted in multi-member constituencies

candidates are elected in single-member constituencies

electoral formulas are used to allocate seats in the legislative assembly

the outcome is not proportional - large parties take a higher proportion of seats than their share of vote merits; small parties are under represented

the outcome is proportional - there is a close link between the share of the vote and number of seats allocated

the systems tend to produce single-party govts with working parliamentary majorities

the systems tend to produce coalition govts as no single party wins a majority of seats

“i dont think elections themselves hinder democracy, but i think the way we’ve structured our own could be improved”