The rapid changes in electoral systems and party systems in Britain since 1997 pose fundamental problems of explanation both for electoral system analysts and for students of British politics. We first describe the main types of electoral system change introduced and show how the new systems have already brought about important differences in party systems and patterns of party government across the UK. Possible explanations of the changes include: general trends across liberal democracies to re-appraise their historic voting systems; the UK’s historical and political distinctiveness in comparative terms; long-run processes specific to Britain triggering a lagged or ‘catch-up’ political and constitutional modernization; and short run (‘why now?’) causal factors. In our view change is already irreversible. For the foreseeable future either plurality rule and new electoral systems will co-exist within a primary/secondary elections structure; or the new systems will over time erode the previously foundational position of plurality rule, in tandem with a realignment of party politics UK-wide.
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