First-Past-The-Post in elections is hopelessly unfair

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