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| Election 'most disproportionate in history' say campaigners | Election 'most disproportionate in history' say campaigners |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The 2015 general election was the "most disproportionate in British history", the Electoral Reform Society has said. | The 2015 general election was the "most disproportionate in British history", the Electoral Reform Society has said. |
| In a new analysis the society - which campaigns to change the voting system - has assessed how the make up of Parliament would have differed had other voting systems been used. | In a new analysis the society - which campaigns to change the voting system - has assessed how the make up of Parliament would have differed had other voting systems been used. |
| The research shows UKIP could have won as many as 80 MPs and the Greens 20. | The research shows UKIP could have won as many as 80 MPs and the Greens 20. |
| UKIP received 3.9 million votes and the Greens 1.2 million, and they ended up with one MP each. | UKIP received 3.9 million votes and the Greens 1.2 million, and they ended up with one MP each. |
| 'Fairer system' | 'Fairer system' |
| Katie Ghose, chief executive of the society, described the current system, usually known as first-past-the-post, as "archaic" and "divisive". | Katie Ghose, chief executive of the society, described the current system, usually known as first-past-the-post, as "archaic" and "divisive". |
| She said: it "leaves millions disenfranchised and forces millions more to feel that they have to vote for a 'lesser evil.'" | She said: it "leaves millions disenfranchised and forces millions more to feel that they have to vote for a 'lesser evil.'" |
| "It's about time we had a fairer system for electing our MPs." | "It's about time we had a fairer system for electing our MPs." |
| In a survey commissioned by the society and carried out by pollsters YouGov, over 40,000 people were asked how they would have voted in the general election had they been required to rank the parties in order of preference. | In a survey commissioned by the society and carried out by pollsters YouGov, over 40,000 people were asked how they would have voted in the general election had they been required to rank the parties in order of preference. |
| The report, entitled The 2015 General Election: A Voting System in Crisis, found that under a list-based system of proportional representation, similar to the kind used in European elections, the outcome would have been very different. | The report, entitled The 2015 General Election: A Voting System in Crisis, found that under a list-based system of proportional representation, similar to the kind used in European elections, the outcome would have been very different. |
| In this case Conservatives would have won 242 seats (-89), Labour 208 (-24), the SNP 30 (-26), the Lib Dems 47 (+39), Plaid Cymru 5 (+2), UKIP 80 (+79) and the Greens 20 (+19). | In this case Conservatives would have won 242 seats (-89), Labour 208 (-24), the SNP 30 (-26), the Lib Dems 47 (+39), Plaid Cymru 5 (+2), UKIP 80 (+79) and the Greens 20 (+19). |
| However, the analysis also found that under an alternative vote system, where voters' preferences are reallocated until one candidate gets over 50%, the election result would be similar to that of 7 May, with the Conservatives winning 337 seats - an increase of six. | However, the analysis also found that under an alternative vote system, where voters' preferences are reallocated until one candidate gets over 50%, the election result would be similar to that of 7 May, with the Conservatives winning 337 seats - an increase of six. |
| In this case Labour would have 227 (-5), the SNP 54 (-2), the Lib Dems 9 (+1), Plaid Cymru 3 (no change), UKIP 1 (no change) and the Greens 1 (no change). | In this case Labour would have 227 (-5), the SNP 54 (-2), the Lib Dems 9 (+1), Plaid Cymru 3 (no change), UKIP 1 (no change) and the Greens 1 (no change). |
| And the research showed that under a single transferable vote (STV) system, similar to the kind currently used in Scottish local elections, the Conservatives would have won 276 seats (-55), Labour 236 (+4), the SNP 34 (-22), the Lib Dems 26 (+18), Plaid Cymru 3 (nc), UKIP 54 (+53) and the Greens 3 (+2). | And the research showed that under a single transferable vote (STV) system, similar to the kind currently used in Scottish local elections, the Conservatives would have won 276 seats (-55), Labour 236 (+4), the SNP 34 (-22), the Lib Dems 26 (+18), Plaid Cymru 3 (nc), UKIP 54 (+53) and the Greens 3 (+2). |
| "Our voting system is breaking up Britain," Ms Ghose added. | "Our voting system is breaking up Britain," Ms Ghose added. |
| "First Past the Post is artificially dividing the UK, giving the SNP nearly all Scottish seats on half the vote, while excluding Labour from the south of England and over-representing them in Wales." | "First Past the Post is artificially dividing the UK, giving the SNP nearly all Scottish seats on half the vote, while excluding Labour from the south of England and over-representing them in Wales." |
| The report also found: | The report also found: |
| Since the election, politicians from UKIP, the Greens, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the SNP have supported a petition calling for voting reform. | Since the election, politicians from UKIP, the Greens, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the SNP have supported a petition calling for voting reform. |
| The Electoral Reform Society used the D'Hondt method for converting votes to seats in a list-based PR system. | The Electoral Reform Society used the D'Hondt method for converting votes to seats in a list-based PR system. |
| Ms Ghose later told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Voters have changed fundamentally. They're shopping around, they're supporting a wider range of parties than ever before and I think that the system's really struggling to cope with that." | |
| But Labour MP Dame Margaret Beckett said the current system tended to give the electorate what they wanted. | |
| "One of the virtues of our present system is that the British people understand it, they know how to work it. In 2010 they didn't like any of us and they didn't give any of us a majority," she said. | |
| "But in 2015 they said 'hang on a minute, we'd rather have a majority government of one or the other, than a mess'." |