The Benefits of the U.K.’s Parliamentary System

U.K.’s parliamentary system of government unique among different forms of democracy

By Rohan Kudva

Arguably the oldest democracy in the world, the United Kingdom has a parliamentary system of government.

The general elections in the UK are held every 5 years, unless parliament votes and agrees to hold it sooner. Elections to parliament are held on a ‘first past the post’ basis. The leader of the majority party is appointed prime minister and governs the country with the help of a cabinet formed from members of the majority party.

Unlike the US system of government, where sometimes the presidency and congress are controlled by different parties, leading to political gridlock, the UK parliamentary system faces no such problems. In a parliamentary system, the government and parliament are controlled by the same party, allowing for smooth functioning of government. This is due to the fact that most voters in the U.K. don’t “split the ticket,” and vote for one party across the ballot.

“Voters put a cross next to their favourite candidate,” the U.K. Electoral Reform Society explained. “But if they think their favourite has a low chance of winning, they may put a cross next to one they like with a better chance of winning.” This means that the federal government in the U.K. generally runs a bit smoother unlike the proportional representation form of parliamentary democracy practiced in some countries. Take the potential problem of a split government and gridlock, as detailed by Tonbridge Grammar School,

“The coalition governments that PR often produces can be weak and indecisive due to the different parties each trying to get their own way,” TGS scholars recounted.

This smoother run of government and prevention of gridlock means systems like the U.K.’s have certain advantages over other democracies.

The UK parliament building. Courtesy of theguardian.com.