August 2023
Dear Constituent,
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and views and concerns about an extension of FPTP to other forms of election in England and Wales.
As I think you know, I’m a strong supporter of FPTP for U.K. Parliamentary elections, not least because of the clear single-constituency link and role for each and every MP, and because of the propensity of the system to deliver ‘clearer’ General Election results and potentially ‘stronger’/single-Party Governments. But I realise that these two particular ‘benefits’ of FPTP, as I perceive them, are not at all relevant to single-area Mayoral or Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections!
I don’t personally have a hugely strong view with regard to whether it should be FTPP, or the (current) Supplementary Vote, or the full Alternative Vote for ‘single-area and single-position’ elections such as our elected Mayoralties and PCCs. I think each of those three methods are acceptable. (NB. There are, interestingly, only a very small number of those Mayoral/PCC elections where the Supplementary Vote has produced a different result to what it would have been under FPTP).
I think my top preference is still for FPTP, as I think it is the voting system most likely to elect the ‘most popular’ candidate rather than the ‘least unpopular candidate’, but I do also understand the arguments for AV and for the Supplementary Vote.
With best wishes.
Kind regards,
Jonathan Lord
Member of Parliament for Woking