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. View of Bank of England, Royal Exchange, and Duke of Wellington equestrian statue (1844) with skyscrapers and construction in background.

    Navigating in the fog: Why the OBR should hold its nerve on the productivity forecast

    The fiscal watchdog is under pressure to downgrade its forecast, costing the chancellor billions – but this would be premature.
  2. A busy bus full of people of all ages. An older couple smile at a younger woman with a baby in a pushchair

    Everyday concerns: What people want from transport

    Transport has a key role to play in achieving the UK government's missions and improving lives. 
  3. An unrecognisable woman playing a slot machine in a social club

    Reforming gambling taxation: How to lift half a million children out of poverty

    A key priority for the government’s upcoming child poverty strategy should be to remove the two-child limit and scrap the household benefit cap.