How far does the Westminster electoral system ensure a strong and stable government? [25 marks]
How far does the Westminster electoral system ensure a strong and stable government? [25 marks]
The Westminster electoral system operates under a first-past-the-post system, which operates under a simple plurality principle in that 50%+1 of the vote constitutes a winner. It has been a part of the British system for over 300 years, although in recent years parties such as the Liberal Democrats have advocated it’s abolition in favour of more proportional systems such as the AV; however, the larger parties such as Labour and the Conservatives stand by its use.
The FPTP system can be seen as creating strong and stable governments because of the long history of majority governments, the 2010 election gave the first government since 1979 that hasn’t been a majority rule. This shows that the system that is in place has been successful in delivering strong governments in recent years, although there have been some exceptions; however the 2010 election can be seen to have highlighted the cracks in the system. It showed that if a party doesn’t get the majority it can create an unstable government—through either a party governing with a minority rule, or through a coalition which reduces strength because of cross party disputes. Either way, the system can be seen as not ensuring a strong and stable government because of the 2010 election’s outcome.