The system is cheap, easy to operate and easily
understood. This helps voters and contributes to a
greater confidence in the result.
The single-member constituency allows for a close
MP-Constituency link
The system normally produces strong, majority government,
making coalitions less likely.
The system distorts the popular vote to an unacceptable degree
Provides little voter choice and therefore leads to
large numbers of wasted votes
It disadvantages small parties and those with support spread
evenly across constituencies i.e. parties who frequently come
second e.g. Lib Dems
It routinely results in an artifically polarised adversarial politics (so-called 'yah-boo'
politics). Some people maintain that coalitions are more constructive and
productive.