What are the advantages of the First-Past-The-Post electoral system

The First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system is used for general elections in the UK. Whilst it has been criticised by some, the fact that it is still use shows that it has several important benefits.

First of all, the most popular argument in favour of the FPTP system is its simplicity. This is because voters only have one vote, for the candidate/party they support. Whereas other systems such Single Transferable Vote can alienate voters due to their complexity, FPTP is a simple and easy to understand system. Therefore, voters are able to engage more easily in elections, which may encourage a greater turnout.

Secondly, using the FPTP system is likely to result in the formation of strong governments. This is because it favours larger parties, and can therefore produce majority governments even when voters may be divided. Because seats do not need to be won through a majority of the vote, a party may win a majority of seats even without the majority of voters' support. The result of this is that governments are usually made up of a single party (excluding the coalition that formed in 2010), and therefore have a clear mandate and can implement their policies effectively, as is currently being shown by the Conservative government.

Furthermore, the fact that the system favours larger parties is a also beneficial in that is engenders centrist ideas. By reducing the share of seats given to smaller parties, the system effectively eliminates extreme parties (arguably UKIP). This has been seen in almost every Westminster election, such as in 2015 when UKIP, the Lib Dems and the Greens were all significantly underrepresented, with UKIP winning only one seat despite having 12% of the total votes. Whilst this may affect other parties, this produces a clear benefit by ensuring that no extreme parties get significant representation in parliament.

In addition, the FPTP system creates a link between citizens and a particular representative. This is because individual MPs are elected by the members of their constituencies, and therefore represent their constituents specifically. For example, the citizens of Maidenhead, Berkshire are represented by Theresa May. This means that they can contact her over any grievances they may have, and she is accountable to them. The key benefit of this, therefore, is that it enhances parliament's representative function.

To conclude, FPTP clearly has several significant benefits, despite its criticisms. The benefits of simplicity, strong government formation, centrist encouragement and constituency representation, to name a few, offer evidence of the benefits that the system has to offer.