Party systems: what do we have and why does it matter?

UK politics has long been dominated by the Labour and Conservative parties - that much is obvious. Every election going back to way before the Second World War has been won by one of the big two. Even before that, in the era before 1918 when the franchise truly expanded to the working class and women, the UK had been a 2 party duopoly of the Conservatives and Liberals, and before that their predecessors, the Tories and Whigs.

Donald and Hillary - a classic 2 party match-up.

But there have also been periods of flux, and the growth of other parties at various points. And when we look around our country, isn't there evidence of other parties being significant? Is the old two party system out, or is it just as resilient as it ever was?

Firstly, the argument for decline. In 1951 the combined vote share for the Conservatives and Labour was 96.8% - virtually no other party was represented, and they gained 616 seats between them. By 2010, the number of seats for the big two remained high, with 564. But their combined vote share was just 65%. The reason for this is clear; First Past the Post prevents other parties gaining strong representation. The Lib Dems managed to get 23% of the vote, but were still stranded on 57 seats.

So what are the alternative views?

Multi-party system

This is most commonly seen in Europe, where Proportional Representation is common, leading to the success in gaining seats for parties like DENK and Party for the Animals in the Netherlands. Despite us having FPTP there is an argument for it in the UK; the success of parties like the Lib Dems, the SNP, and the 5 Northern Irish parties, whose level of representation varies, means that there is still a chance for representation in parliament. Looking around the UK, there is clearly multi-party politics outside England, as well.

Regional party system

Due to the variety of systems we have in the UK (with elections not just to Westminster but also to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd, NI Assembly, London, and elsewhere), the electoral system can vary significantly depending on where you look. If you look in Scotland - it's a dominant party system for the SNP. In Wales, a 2 party system perhaps, though Labour almost always form the government. In Northern Ireland we have a true multi-party system. Also, if one looks at different areas of England the party system can vary dramatically.

Dominant party system

The UK has had many elections in recent years - but only 2 changes of government in 30 years (and 3 in nearly 50 years!). Labour won power in 1997 but held on for 13 years, and the Conservatives won in 2010, and will be in power until at least 2024 (it appears). The nature of First Past the Post makes it possible for a party to gain a strong grip on power, and tends to exaggerate support for the largest party.

2.5 party system (2 party plus)

This is, I suppose, an argument that the 2 party system still has some legs. Whilst alternative parties in principle can gain power, they often can only do so as part of coalitions. The Lib Dems managed to gain representation as part of the coalition in 2010-2015, and the DUP supported the Conservative government from 2017-2019. Additionally, parties can influence government even when they don't gain power - one only needs look at the change in Conservative policy due to the growing influence of UKIP in the 2010s.

But despite all of this, the last few years have actually seen the 2 party system come back stronger. In 2017 the two main parties gained 82.4% of the vote, with the post-2015 decline of the Lib Dems helping both major parties. The Conservatives have gained over 40% in subsequent elections, and poll numbers suggest this may be on the cards for Labour in the future, so the system seems resilient for now.

So, whilst the UK doesn't have the strength of a 2 party system like the US, it is clear that, while we retain First Past the Post for Westminster elections, the era of Conservative and Labour dominance will remain.