The Right Alternative? Assessing the case for the Alternative Vote

Article

AV is a superior voting system to FPTP principally because it goes with the grain of contemporary political life in Britain: it is better at reflecting the diversity and pluralism of the modern electorate, something FPTP conspicuously fails to do.

The upcoming referendum offers voters the choice between moving to the Alternative Vote (AV) or retaining First Past the Post (FPTP). The evidence presented in this report and IPPR's previous publication - Worst of Both Worlds: Why First Past the Post no longer works - shows that there is a strong case for reform.

However, there is no such thing as a perfect electoral system and we should be careful not to exaggerate the claims of AV. It is not a proportional system and so does not give all parties a fair share of seats in parliament.

Download the full results of the ippr/YouGov poll which is used extensively in this report.

Related items

  1. The sign for the Ministry of Defence by the building's main entrance

    Joining forces: A better strategy for defence spending with allies

    Andy Burnham has made the case that national security and rebuilding Britain’s hard power will be priorities for his government. 
  2. Adults standing in a circle and talking to each other about their mental wellbeing. There is a staff member sitting to the left of them in the frame sitting next to a table. The community centre is located in Seaton Deleval in the North East of England.

    What is the left for?: The case for a politics of reciprocism

    Liberal democratic capitalism has failed to give many people good lives, and the future looks less promising than the past. 

  3. Wildfires and climate change | Dave Hawkey from IPPR Scotland speaks to Lewis Goodall on LBC

    Europe’s heatwaves and the wildfires in the Cairngorms are a stark reminder that climate extremes are here.  The Scottish government must act now with a clear plan to prepare for what's coming.