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| Q&A: Voting reform options | Q&A: Voting reform options |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| The expenses scandal has led to renewed calls for reform of the way MPs are elected, with one Cabinet minister urging a referendum on the voting system. | The expenses scandal has led to renewed calls for reform of the way MPs are elected, with one Cabinet minister urging a referendum on the voting system. |
| What is said to be wrong with the existing system? | What is said to be wrong with the existing system? |
| Critics of the "first past the post" system, where candidates who get the most votes in individual constituencies are elected, say it is unfair and does not come close to reflecting the overall number of votes cast for different parties. They point out that Labour was elected in 2005 despite only getting 35% of all votes cast. The system punishes smaller parties, opponents argue. For instance, despite getting 22% of the vote in 2005, the Lib Dems only won 9% of seats. Reformers say too many votes are effectively "wasted" in safe seats where either Labour or Conservatives have large, in-built majorities, depressing turnout. Election results, they say, increasingly hinge on the preferences of a small number of voters in a handful of swing constituencies which is undemocratic. | Critics of the "first past the post" system, where candidates who get the most votes in individual constituencies are elected, say it is unfair and does not come close to reflecting the overall number of votes cast for different parties. They point out that Labour was elected in 2005 despite only getting 35% of all votes cast. The system punishes smaller parties, opponents argue. For instance, despite getting 22% of the vote in 2005, the Lib Dems only won 9% of seats. Reformers say too many votes are effectively "wasted" in safe seats where either Labour or Conservatives have large, in-built majorities, depressing turnout. Election results, they say, increasingly hinge on the preferences of a small number of voters in a handful of swing constituencies which is undemocratic. |
| What do critics of the system want? | What do critics of the system want? |
| Most of those seeking electoral reform want a form of proportional representation, or PR, where the number of seats a party wins is more closely aligned with the number of votes they get. The Liberal Democrats have long called for such a step. | |
| Is there a single system which reformers support? | Is there a single system which reformers support? |
| No. Different electoral systems are now in place across the UK, all with their own advocates. | No. Different electoral systems are now in place across the UK, all with their own advocates. |
| How does it work in Scotland and Wales? | How does it work in Scotland and Wales? |
| Voting for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly is done through what is known as an additional member system. Some representatives are elected via the traditional first past the post method but voters get to cast a second vote for "top-up" seats, allocated in proportion to the number of votes. These representatives are selected on a regional basis from lists of candidates drawn up by each party - with five regions in Wales and eight in Scotland. | Voting for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly is done through what is known as an additional member system. Some representatives are elected via the traditional first past the post method but voters get to cast a second vote for "top-up" seats, allocated in proportion to the number of votes. These representatives are selected on a regional basis from lists of candidates drawn up by each party - with five regions in Wales and eight in Scotland. |
| What about Northern Ireland? | What about Northern Ireland? |
| In Northern Ireland local and Assembly elections and Scottish local elections, voting is done on a single transferable vote basis which sees more than one MP elected from a single constituency. Voters number candidates in order of preference and all those passing a defined threshold - calculated by dividing the number of valid votes by the number of seats plus one - are elected. Their surplus votes are distributed to other candidates on the basis of other preferences with low-scoring candidates being progressively eliminated. | In Northern Ireland local and Assembly elections and Scottish local elections, voting is done on a single transferable vote basis which sees more than one MP elected from a single constituency. Voters number candidates in order of preference and all those passing a defined threshold - calculated by dividing the number of valid votes by the number of seats plus one - are elected. Their surplus votes are distributed to other candidates on the basis of other preferences with low-scoring candidates being progressively eliminated. |
| Are all the systems used proportionate? | Are all the systems used proportionate? |
| No. The Mayor of London is elected through a system known as the alternative vote. While not a true PR method, its supporters say it would help confer legitimacy on MPs while giving people more incentives to vote. Voters choose their first and second preference and a candidate can only be elected in the first round if they get 50% of the vote. If no-one achieves this in the first round, all but the top two candidates are eliminated and their second preferences redistributed. The candidate with the most votes is then elected. This system is only suitable for electing a single office holder or MP. | No. The Mayor of London is elected through a system known as the alternative vote. While not a true PR method, its supporters say it would help confer legitimacy on MPs while giving people more incentives to vote. Voters choose their first and second preference and a candidate can only be elected in the first round if they get 50% of the vote. If no-one achieves this in the first round, all but the top two candidates are eliminated and their second preferences redistributed. The candidate with the most votes is then elected. This system is only suitable for electing a single office holder or MP. |
| How do they do things in Europe? | How do they do things in Europe? |
| Voters in next month's elections for the European Parliament will use what is known as a party list system. The UK is divided into large constituencies and different parties put together lists of candidates for election, with their preferred choices at the top. Seats are allocated, on a top-down basis, in proportion to parties' share of the vote. A number of European countries, including Belgium, Spain and Denmark, use this for their national elections. | Voters in next month's elections for the European Parliament will use what is known as a party list system. The UK is divided into large constituencies and different parties put together lists of candidates for election, with their preferred choices at the top. Seats are allocated, on a top-down basis, in proportion to parties' share of the vote. A number of European countries, including Belgium, Spain and Denmark, use this for their national elections. |
| Have these issues been considered before? | Have these issues been considered before? |
| There have been periodic reviews of the electoral system over the last 20 years, none of which resulted in any change. The most significant, a 1998 review headed by former Lib Dem peer Lord Jenkins, argued for a mixed system known as Alternative Vote Top-Up. This would see up to 85% of MPs elected under the AV system now used in London but on a nationwide constituency basis, with candidates needing 50% of the vote. A second vote would be held for the remaining 15% of MPs. They would be elected from a series of county and city lists, taking into account votes cast and the number of MPs already elected in each area. | There have been periodic reviews of the electoral system over the last 20 years, none of which resulted in any change. The most significant, a 1998 review headed by former Lib Dem peer Lord Jenkins, argued for a mixed system known as Alternative Vote Top-Up. This would see up to 85% of MPs elected under the AV system now used in London but on a nationwide constituency basis, with candidates needing 50% of the vote. A second vote would be held for the remaining 15% of MPs. They would be elected from a series of county and city lists, taking into account votes cast and the number of MPs already elected in each area. |
| What are the prospects for change? | What are the prospects for change? |
| Neither Labour nor the Tories have shown much interest in electoral reform in recent years as each have enjoyed thumping majorities under the present system. Before 1997, Labour flirted with talk of reform and included a commitment to a referendum in its 1997 manifesto. But this enthusiasm disappeared after its massive victory and the Blair government decided not to act on the Jenkins recommendations. Health Secretary Alan Johnson has now called for a referendum on reform but some senior party figures, such as Jack Straw, are opposed. The Tories reject any change outright, saying PR systems produce inconclusive outcomes and stitched-up, unstable coalitions while the current system provides a direct link between an MP and their electorate. Critics say the SNP is now running Scotland as a minority government, having got only one more seat than Labour in 2007. But supporters argue it relies on the support of other parties to get its key policies through, which is good for democracy. | Neither Labour nor the Tories have shown much interest in electoral reform in recent years as each have enjoyed thumping majorities under the present system. Before 1997, Labour flirted with talk of reform and included a commitment to a referendum in its 1997 manifesto. But this enthusiasm disappeared after its massive victory and the Blair government decided not to act on the Jenkins recommendations. Health Secretary Alan Johnson has now called for a referendum on reform but some senior party figures, such as Jack Straw, are opposed. The Tories reject any change outright, saying PR systems produce inconclusive outcomes and stitched-up, unstable coalitions while the current system provides a direct link between an MP and their electorate. Critics say the SNP is now running Scotland as a minority government, having got only one more seat than Labour in 2007. But supporters argue it relies on the support of other parties to get its key policies through, which is good for democracy. |