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How the winner-takes-all voting system has turned on Labour and the Tories
Key takeaways
- Sir John Curtice Professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde BBCUnder the first-past-the-post electoral system, the candidate or candidates with the most votes in each seat are elected.
- An alternative is a system of proportional representation under which some attempt is made to distribute seats to reflect the popularity of parties.
- First-past-the-post has long been regarded as a friend of the Conservative and Labour parties.
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Sir John Curtice Professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde BBCUnder the first-past-the-post electoral system, the candidate or candidates with the most votes in each seat are elected. It is used in the UK at general elections and in local elections such as the ones just held in England.
An alternative is a system of proportional representation under which some attempt is made to distribute seats to reflect the popularity of parties. Both the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd in Wales use systems of proportional representation.
First-past-the-post has long been regarded as a friend of the Conservative and Labour parties.
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