Additional Member System (AMS)

The Additional Member System (AMS) is a hybrid voting system used to elect Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). It aims to reduce the gap between the percentage of seats and the percentage of votes a party receives, making it more proportional than FPTP.

Definition: AMS is a mixed electoral system that combines elements of First Past the Post with proportional representation.

Under AMS, voters have two votes:

1. A constituency vote to elect MSPs for specific constituencies (similar to FPTP)
2. A regional vote to elect regional MSPs, with 7 MSPs elected from each of the 8 regions

The regional vote results are calculated using the d'Hondt formula, which helps balance out the disproportionality that might occur in the constituency vote.

Example: In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP won 59 constituency seats but only 4 regional seats, demonstrating how the system compensates for strong performance in one area.

AMS increases proportionality and rewards parties more fairly for the votes they receive. For instance, in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the Green Party received 4.7% of seats with 6.6% of the vote. This is more proportional compared to the 2015 UK general election under FPTP, where the SNP won 95% of Scottish seats at Westminster with only 50% of the vote.

Highlight: AMS provides voters with more choice, as it increases the number of parties and candidates standing in the second ballot.

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, there were 23 parties on the second ballot in Glasgow and the Lothians, giving voters a wider range of options. This system also allows voters to potentially have access to 8 MSPs, increasing their chances of finding a representative who shares their views.

However, AMS is not without its criticisms. Voters have no say in the order a party ranks its list MPs, and parties are not required to register their candidates on the ballot paper. This lack of transparency can lead to situations where voters may end up with an unknown representative as their MSP.

First Past the Post (FPTP) System

First Past the Post is the electoral system used for UK general elections to elect Members of Parliament (MPs). It is a winner-takes-all system where the country is divided into 650 constituencies, each electing one MP.

Definition: First Past the Post is a voting system where the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins, regardless of whether they achieve an overall majority.

The FPTP system is known for its simplicity and quick results. For example, Newcastle Central announced its results in just 1 hour and 27 minutes during a recent election. This speed and simplicity are key reasons for maintaining the system.

Highlight: FPTP often results in a clear winner, potentially providing a strong and stable government.

Historically, FPTP has frequently led to one party emerging as the clear winner, as seen with Tony Blair's victories in 1997, 2001, and 2005, and Boris Johnson's win in 2019. This outcome is often viewed as beneficial for providing a stable government with a clear mandate.

However, the system has faced criticism for its lack of proportionality. In the 2019 general election, the Liberal Democrats received 11.5% of the vote but only 1.7% of the seats. Under a proportional representation system, they would have won approximately 75 seats.

Example: In the 2015 general election, the Conservative Party won 50.9% of the seats with only 36.9% of the vote, highlighting the potential disparity between votes cast and seats won under FPTP.

Critics argue that FPTP leads to many wasted votes and doesn't always provide a fair representation of the electorate's wishes. Additionally, while FPTP is often praised for producing stable governments, recent UK political history has shown that this is not always the case, with hung parliaments and coalitions occurring in 2010 and 2017.