First Past the Post
The nutshell
One person wins per place. Whoever gets the most votes is the winner — even if most people voted for someone else.
Everything on this page comes from official election rules and counts. Every source tag — like EC — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
How it works
The UK is split into 650 areas called constituencies. Each one sends one MP to Parliament.EC
On election day, each voter puts one X next to one name. The candidate with the most votes in that area wins the seat. There is no prize for second place.
Why the UK uses it
It’s simple to use and fast to count. It usually gives one party enough seats to run the government on its own.HoC The UK has used it for elections to Parliament for over a century.
The catch: wasted votes
Every vote for a losing candidate — and every extra vote for the winner beyond what was needed — changes nothing. In the 2024 general election, most votes were like this (Electoral Reform Society).ERS
Compared to other systems
Other countries share seats out to match the votes — that’s called Proportional Representation. Some systems rank candidates in order, like the Alternative Vote.
- Simple — one X, one winner
- Fast, clear results by morning
- Each area gets one local MP
- Seats don’t match how people voted
- Millions of votes change nothing
- Smaller parties find it hard to win seats
The deep end8 min
Early draft — this section is awaiting its editorial pass
Votes vs seats in 2024
FPTP can produce big gaps between vote share and seat share. The 2024 general election was the starkest on record.HoC
Who wants to change it
As a pattern, parties that win lots of seats under FPTP tend to keep supporting it, and parties that win a smaller share of seats than of votes tend to want change. The Liberal Democrats, Greens and Reform UK have all called for proportional systems. Labour and the Conservatives have kept FPTP for Westminster while in government.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland already use different, more proportional systems for the devolved parliaments and assemblies.
How the UK got here
FPTP wasn’t designed — it grew out of medieval practice, when counties simply sent whoever the most people backed. The secret ballot arrived in 1872, and every adult finally got the vote in 1928.
In 2011 the UK held a referendum on switching to the Alternative Vote. About 68% voted to keep FPTP, on a low turnout.Parl