Proportional Representation (Additional Member System) Arguments For & Against

Voters are better represented as the number of MSPs in Parliament more closely reflects the number of votes cast for the party they represent. Not as many votes are wasted like you would get under FPTP.

It encourages people to vote as not as many votes are wasted like you would get under FPTP. Your first vote (Constituency Vote) might be wasted but having a second vote means that you can still have an influence as the ‘AMS calculation’ is set up to benefit smaller parties.

Smaller parties would be better represented. Unlike F-P-T-P where voting for the smaller parties could be considered a waste of time, the smaller parties have a better chance of success because people have a second vote.

No single party is likely to dominate government as a coalition will probably be necessary. A single party is unlikely to gain an overall majority. This should mean that the Government (main party) doesn’t have too much power and will have to do a good job in order to maintain the support of other parties within the coalition.

AMS gives the electorate the chance to vote for who they think will be the best candidate for their constituency – this may not be someone from a party they’d normally vote for. For example, you might vote for Michael Mathieson of the SNP for the Constituency but then vote Labour on the Regional vote as you prefer their policies.

First-Past-The-Post creates strong, stable governments. Coalitions (usually created under PR) can make it difficult for decisions to be made and parties have to accommodate others who are in the coalition. For example, the Lib Dems and Conservatives had to eventually agree to increase Tuition Fees and a Referendum on a new voting system, despite one party not being happy.

Do we vote for a coalition? AMS usually creates one! You don’t vote for a coalition so is it really democratic and representative that one may end up being created?

Smaller parties who form a coalition can hold too much power, despite them only having a small number of seats. For example, in the UK Parliament, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had to form a Coalition as no party had a majority. However, the Liberal Democrats only came third but now they get to make important decisions about how the country is run. Should they when the Labour Party had more support than them? They used their position to force a referendum on a new voting system: The Alternative Vote (AV)

Most forms of PR don’t actually give a truly proportional result. AMS still uses First-Past-The-Post in part of the ballot paper so votes are still wasted!

Regional/List MSPs are selected without any input from the voters whatsoever. We don’t get to choose the people who go on the list. This is decided by the party. Some people might vote and then realise the person elected is not someone they’d typically choose. Labour Scottish National Party Liberal Democrats Scottish Socialist Party British National Party Scottish Conservatives and Unionist Party