First-Past-The-Post in elections is hopelessly unfair
Should FPTP, First-Past-The-Post, be re-named as Fake Post-Truth Polling?
After all, there is no post!
To win a two-candidate contest requires 50% + 1 of the valid vote.
With ten or more candidates, success could depend on just 10% + 1, and the world record is held by Papua New Guinea where a candidate was elected by less than 5%.
So maybe 95% thought this ‘winner’ was the worst!
In a word, FPTP can be hopelessly inaccurate.
So the sensible folk in Papua New Guinea have now changed their electoral system to a form of preferential voting.
Would that the United Kingdom system was also fair.
Peter Emerson, Director, The de Borda Institute, Belfast BT14