The United Kingdom's general election witnessed Keir Starmer's Labour Party securing a landslide victory, winning 412 out of 650 seats in the House of Commons, despite receiving 34 percent of the actual votes. In contrast, Reform UK, with 14 percent of the votes, only managed to secure four seats. The disparity in seat allocation among parties is primarily attributed to the first-past-the-post voting system used in the UK, where candidates with the most votes in each constituency win seats. ### How many seats have each party won: - **Labour Party:** 35 percent vote share, 412 seats - **Conservative Party:** 24 percent vote share, 121 seats - **Liberal Democrats:** 12 percent vote share, 71 seats - **Reform UK:** 14 percent vote share, 4 seats - **Green Party:** 7 percent vote share, 4 seats - **Scottish National Party (SNP):** 2 percent vote share, 9 seats - **Sinn Fein:** 0.7 percent vote share, 7 seats - **Plaid Cymru:** 0.7 percent vote share, 4 seats ### Why does this happen: The discrepancies in votes and seats allocation arise due to the winner-takes-all nature of the first-past-the-post system. This system often leads to imbalances where a party with a significant number of seats may not reflect its share of the votes. The party that secures 326 seats forms the government, without requiring a coalition, highlighting the system's simplicity but its lack of proportional representation. ### Does this mismatch occur frequently: Historical election data shows instances where parties with decent vote shares received disproportionately low seat allocations, emphasizing the limitations of the first-past-the-post system in representing the voters' choices accurately. ### What would have been the result under PR: Under a proportional representation system, parties secure seats in alignment with their vote percentage, offering a more equitable distribution of seats based on voter preferences and potentially avoiding discrepancies seen in the current system. ### Why doesn't the UK use PR: Despite calls for electoral reform, the UK continues to uphold the first-past-the-post system, citing simplicity, accountability, and historical precedent as reasons for its continuity. ### Has the UK ever considered changing the electoral system: Efforts to introduce alternative systems like the AV (alternative voting) in the past faced resistance, indicating a broader preference for the current system despite its shortcomings. ### Where else in the world has the first-past-the-post system been used: Several countries, including the US, India, and Canada, still employ the first-past-the-post system, showcasing the diverse global applications of this electoral model.