What has been the impact on Parties & Government on the different voting systems introduced in 1997 in the U.K.?

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Matthew Netto         Government & Politics

What has been the impact on Parties & Government on the different voting systems introduced in 1997 in the U.K.?

Currently in the U.K. today, there are five voting systems implemented in various places across England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales allowing voters to take part in separate systems which generally influence different outcomes in elections. These separate voting systems are employed for numerous reasons and circumstances that utilize a distinctive look on U.K. poslitics and parliament.

         Each separate system provides independent outcomes. There are systems that put into traditional practice of what citizens are accustomed to. These systems enforce the distinct regulations of the right to vote, and assurance of one vote equals one person. An example of a system that put this theory into effect is First Past the Post (FPTP). This is the current system used in the U.K. General Elections, and demonstrates a straightforward example of an electoral system that directly effects U.K government and political parties. The use of simple plurality of votes ensures that this system favours larger parties, as landslide election victories usually favour either Labour or Conservative parties. This affects the U.K government directly as the two main parties in the U.K. are Labour and Conservative. This proposes what is seen as a two-party system in the U.K., where these two political parties alternate in government, ensuring other political parties gain little electoral success, as political power is focused between these two candidates. However, it can be seen that this system allows governments to govern; that it enjoys the majority control, and can run by the set of rules the party executes on its own.

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        Conversely, this idea is opposed by the use of a different system, Regional Party List. This system is seen as “pure”, as it ensures proportional representation, further certifying fairness to all parties listed in the election. Parties are allocated seats in direct proportion to the votes they gain in each regional constituency. This is a system where smaller parties usually benefit from, gaining seats from the choice of voters, and power as they decide where candidates are placed on the party list. Unlike the First Past the Post system, Regional Party Lists promote the use of coalition government. This is ...

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