In 2011 Britain’s second nationwide referendum. This was on the issue of whether to replace the First Past the Post voting system with the Alternative Vote system for General Elections. Many people have questioned the effectiveness of this referendum and whether it turned out to be a good democratic exercise.
Why did the referendum take place?
Prior to 1998 there were a very limited number of electoral systems in the operation in the UK. Elections were, in almost all cases, operated using First Past the Post. However, in 1998 New Labour created new devolved institutions across the UK which implemented different voting systems for their elections. As such, First Past the Post is now joined by other systems across the UK. These systems include: the Single Transferable Vote, the Additional Member System and the Supplementary Vote system. So, how do these systems work and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
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By-Elections are in the news a lot at the moment. So what is a by-election, why are they held and what is their significance?
What is a by-election and in what circumstances will they be held?
A by-election is an election called when a seat has been vacated within a constituency but there is no General Election looming. In the United States these care called Special Elections. In the UK there are four circumstances in which a by-election will be held:
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