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Election 2019: Has the UK’s electoral system had its day?

The United Kingdom heads to the polls on 12 December. But how well does this electoral system work?

The United Kingdom heads to the polls on 12 December. But how well does this electoral system work?

Is ‘first past the post’ still the right system for the UK, and if not, what should replace it and how can we get there? What should we make of recent proposals to lower the voting age to 16 and introduce voter ID? What other changes might be required to produce a Parliament that better reflects public will?

In this panel discussion, we asked how well the electoral system works, how it affects trust in government and Parliament, and how it might be improved.

Our panel included:

  • Antony Green, election analyst at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society
  • John McTernan, commentator and former adviser to Tony Blair
  • Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party.

The event was chaired by Emma Norris, director of research at the Institute for Government.

There was an opportunity for questions from the audience.

We would like to thank the Electoral Reform Society for supporting this event.

#IfGElection2019

 

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