Electoral Systems

Proportional Representation: The number of seats in Parliament is divided up by the proportion of votes in the country as a whole for each party.

First Past the Post: The country is divided into constituencies that mirrors the number of seats in Parliament. The candidate with the most votes in each becomes the MP for that constituency.

Advantages of First Past the Post:

• Simple to understand
• People know they have one MP for their constituency who they've chosen to represent them
• It's fair that the person with the most votes wins, and that the party with the majority of seats wins
• MP represents all constituents, not just those voting for them
• Supports a two-party system
• Prevents extreme parties from getting MPs in Parliament
  
• British democracy has stood the test of time - why change it?
  

Disadvantages of First Past the Post:

• All the people who didn't vote for the winning candidate feel their vote was wasted.
• People are discouraged from voting because their vote didn't count
• In 1997, almost half of the votes cast were lost
• There is often little difference between 2 big parties, so alternative views are not heard
• Proportional representation is fairer as more MPs from minority parties can get into Parliament