PR Improve Elections To The Commons

Question 1

PR would improve as FPTP negates the need for cooperation

Answer 1

• parties aim to seek defeat
• STV encourages cooperation, SF and DUP power share between nationalists and unionists and promotes peace and mutual respect
  -supported by NI peace agreement 1998
• attack ads 2017 Con ads against Corbyn focussing on his weak econ policies and national security
• FPTP unlikely, no post election cooperation, even when in coalition no cooperation such as LD 2010 had to scrap uni fee pledge

Question 2

FPTP is better as it creates stable govs and under PR, parties may not coop

Answer 2

• stormont closed from 2017 to 2020, gridlock as parties refused to work together, disagreements SF links to IRA terrorist group and disagreements over NI protocol, keeping NI in single market
• FPTP creates clear winner and likely majority
• Blair strong no opp till 2005 terrorism bill amendments
• Starmer 2024 withheld rebellion on 2 child Ben/winter fuel
• can avoid gridlock

Question 3

PR encourages more people to vote as more votes are represented

Answer 3

• lack of wasted votes if votes are proportional
• FPTP under rep minor parties who do not have dispersed support
• 2024 reform and green and Green Party average
• STV most proportional
• Ams hybrid scot Welsh parl, more choice with regional party lists and constituency votes and can rank voters
• minor parties in power Green/SNP coalition, green first gov and snp can represent their independence agenda
• PC and Lab in wales 43/60 able to tailor policy to wales such as school uniform policy and landfil tax

Question 4

FPTP is better because it prevents extremists from gaining seats

Answer 4

• if taken over by extremists, electorate loose faith
• reform dispersed support
• BNP no seats but in 2009 euro parl won 2 seats as its PR
• 2015 UKIP, 13% = 1 seat but under PR would be 180
• protect public from harmful messages and propaganda
• should be able to win over a constituency in order to represent and govern in, thus PR would not work

Question 5

FPTP creates safe seats which are hard to persuade, PR better more people represented

Answer 5

• constituency members in safe seats who vote for an opposition are unrepresented every election, sometimes even without a majority
• Jess Phillips bham yardley safe seat but she only won by 700 votes in 2024, (Conflict in gaza and Muslim voters)
• chorley lindsey hoyle won by 60%, 40 unrepped
• PR removes winner takes all, more diverse party rep
• Red wall hard to persuade, had been knocked now but now back up
• AMS would be better, 2007 7.4 candidates per Scottish ward, more choice

Question 6

FPTP better because it ensures MP constituency link

Answer 6

• safe seats are changing
• SNP 2015-2024 3rd largest party, now lost 39 seats
• 2024 Con big beast safe seats lost (Mourdant and Rees Mogg)
• Runcorn and helsby by election won by reform
• MP constituency link FPTP benefit
• contact by email, letter, call on them in local council to discuss local issues
• recall of mp easy if their is 1 mp to hold to account
• most voters will know their 1 MP as opposed to multiple under AMS multi party constituencies