How the winner-takes-all voting system has turned on Labour and the Tories

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. How the winner-takes-all voting system has turned on Labour and the Tories40 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleSir John CurticeProfessor of politics at the University of StrathclydeBBCUnder 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. It makes it difficult for small parties whose vote is evenly spread geographically to win seats.

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This helps to keep potential challengers to the Conservatives and Labour out of the House of Commons. Indeed, because that is the case, voters may be reluctant to vote for them in the first place. Getty ImagesFirst-past-the-post is used in both general elections and local elections in England, such as in the contest in BarnsleyHistorically, the system has also given whoever is the victor in the electoral battle between Conservative and Labour a boost in seats.

The two parties thus both get the chance of securing a period of untrammeled majority government rather than having to negotiate the rocky shores of minority or coalition government. However, Thursday's election results raise questions about whether first-past-the-post will continue to benefit the Conservatives and Labour in future. Rather, they have shown that the system is colour blind in how it operatesThe results confirmed that Britain has now entered an unprecedented era of multi-party politics.

According to the 's projected national share, if the whole country had had the chance to vote in a local election on Thursday Reform would have come first with 26% of the vote and the Greens (narrowly) second on 18%. The Conservatives and Labour would have been left with just 17% each. Their joint tally of 34% represents a record low.

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Even the Liberal Democrats – who regularly perform relatively well in local elections – were not far behind on 16%. This not long after fewer than three in five people voted Conservative or Labour in the 2024 general election. That was the lowest proportion since and including 1922, when Labour first became the Conservatives' principal competitors.

Getty ImagesThe 's projected national vote share put Reform in the lead on 26%This rise in third party voting suggests that first-past-the-post is no longer proving effective at discouraging people from backing parties other than Conservative or Labour. Once upon a time, Conservative and Labour politicians would cry, 'A Liberal vote is a wasted vote'. That kind of argument has seemingly lost its force.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.