Q&A: Voting reform options

The expenses scandal has led to renewed calls for reform of the way MPs are elected. Gordon Brown is expected to tell the Commons that there should now be a debate on changing the current way MPs are elected.

What is said to be wrong with the existing system?

Critics of the "first past the post" system, where candidates who get the most votes in individual constituencies are elected, say it is unfair and does not reflect the number of votes cast for different parties. They point out that Labour was elected in 2005 despite only getting 35% of all votes cast and the system punishes smaller parties. Despite getting 22% of the vote in 2005, the Lib Dems only won 9% of seats. Reformers say too many votes are effectively wasted in safe seats where either Labour or Conservatives have large, in-built majorities, and this depresses turnout. Results, they say, increasingly hinge on the preferences of a small number of voters in a handful of swing constituencies which is undemocratic.

What is the prime minister proposing?

He is expected to say there should be a national debate on whether the UK should change the way it elects its MPs. A cabinet committee has started looking at the issue. It is understood Mr Brown will not endorse change at this stage or say he favours any particular system but is arguing instead that there must be widespread consultation on the way forward - and no change without public support in a referendum.

So could the system change before the next election?

No. This is the start of a process that would take many months or years to come to any fruition. The Conservatives, who oppose changes to the system, say Mr Brown only wants to change the system because he knows he is going to lose the election.

What do critics of the system want?

Historically, most of those seeking electoral reform have urged a form of proportional representation, or PR, where the number of seats a party wins is more closely aligned with the number of votes they get. The Liberal Democrats have long backed this. Some within Labour are known to support a different mechanism known as alternative vote. Under this system, voters rank candidates in order of preference and anyone getting more than 50% in the first round is elected. If that doesn't happen, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their second choices allocated to the remaining candidates. This process continues until there is a winner. While not proportional, this aims to ensure majority backing for those elected.

Is there a single system which reformers support?

No. Different electoral systems are now in place across the UK, all with their own advocates.

How does it work in Scotland and Wales?

Voting for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly is done through what is known as an additional member system. Some representatives are elected via the traditional first past the post method but voters get to cast a second vote for "top-up" seats, allocated in proportion to the number of votes. These representatives are selected on a regional basis from lists of candidates drawn up by each party - with five regions in Wales and eight in Scotland.

What about Northern Ireland?

In Northern Ireland local and Assembly elections (and Scottish local elections), voting is done on a single transferable vote basis which sees more than one candidate elected from a single constituency. Voters number candidates in order of preference and all those passing a defined threshold - calculated by dividing the number of valid votes by the number of seats plus one - are elected. Their surplus votes are distributed to other candidates on the basis of other preferences with low-scoring candidates being progressively eliminated.

Are all the systems used proportionate?

No. The Mayor of London and other UK mayors are elected through a system known as the supplementary vote. Voters choose their first and second preferences and a candidate can only be elected in the first round if they get 50% of the vote. If no-one achieves this, all but the top two candidates are eliminated and their second preferences redistributed to the candidates still in the race. The candidate with the most votes is then elected. This is only suitable for electing a single office holder or MP.

How do they do things in the European Elections?

Voters in the recent European elections used a party list system. The UK was divided into large constituencies and different parties put together lists of candidates for election, with their preferred choices at the top. Seats were allocated, on a top-down basis, in proportion to parties' share of the vote. Critics say the system is flawed, allowing parties such as BNP to win seats.

Have these issues been considered before?

There have been periodic reviews of the electoral system over the last 20 years, none of which resulted in change. The most significant, a 1998 review headed by former Lib Dem peer Lord Jenkins, argued for a mixed system known as Alternative Vote Top-Up. This would see up to 85% of MPs elected under the alternative vote system but on a nationwide constituency basis. A second vote would be held for the remaining 15% of MPs. They would be elected from a series of county and city lists, taking into account votes cast and the number of MPs already elected in each area. The Blair government did not act on the Jenkins recommendations, despite including a commitment to a referendum on electoral reform in its 1997 manifesto.

How quickly could changes happen?

Education Secretary Alan Johnson has called for a referendum to be held on the same day as the next general election. However, this looks extremely unlikely as government sources say this will not give enough time for consultation or drafting of a suitable proposal. Critics say Labour would like to delay the issue until after the next election as it fears losing any vote before then. However, the Tories are less enthusiastic about electoral reform than Labour, casting serious doubt on whether it will ever happen. They say PR systems produce inconclusive outcomes and unstable coalitions while the current system provides a direct link between an MP and their electorate. Supporters of PR point to the fact that the SNP government in Scotland has to rely on the support of other parties to get its key policies through, which is good for democracy.