Arguments FOR and
AGAINST AMS
Higher Modern Studies
Lesson Starter
1. In your own words, create a
diagram/ summarise how the
AMS system works.
What will I learn?
About the voting system used in
the Scottish Parliament.
Success Criteria
• Explain the advantages and
disadvantages of the
system.
• Assess the impact of the
system
FOR
1. PROPORTIONALITY – AMS
produces a fairly proportional
result but still maintains a clear
link between the voters and their
representatives. People have a
constituency MSP who they can
identify with and go to with their
problems.
2. COALITION GOVERNMENT –
can be effective government that is willing to
listen to different perspectives. The
Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition in the
Scottish Parliament (1999-2007) introduced a
number of policies that are dramatically
different from the views of Labour controlled
Westminster. For example, an end to tuition
fees for Scottish university students. Note
2007,2011 result produced a minority and
majority government.
3. WASTED VOTES –
Votes are not wasted under AMS. Even if
a party has no chance of winning a seat
under the FPTP aspect, it can win party
list seats as the Scottish Greens and
Scottish Socialists have done. This may
encourage more voters to participate.
4. BETTER REPRESENTATION –
AMS allows a wider variety of views to be
expressed. Under FPTP, the system is
dominated by the two largest parties –
Conservative and Labour. However,
under AMS, smaller parties such as the
Greens have gained representation.
Glasgow region- 8 MSPs from a variety of
different parties.
AGAINST
1. CHOICE OF CANDIDATES – As the
party list aspect is used, some would
argue that too much power is given to
the party in choosing candidates. Often
people like to know WHO they are
voting for – personality and personal
qualities are important in politics.
Example
• In the Scottish AMS, the voter has no say in the order a
party ranks its prospective List MSPs.
• In most constituencies, being placed anything further down
than 3rd or 4th in the party list means a candidate is
highly unlikely to get elected.
• It is the political party that decides the order of the list.
• This explains why, in 2003, Margo MacDonald, an
experienced and popular MSP resigned from the SNP and
stood for election as an Independent candidate.
• Due to internal party squabbling, she was placed a lowly
6th on the SNP’s list for the Lothians region.
• This meant that, if she did not resign and run as an
Independent, she would have had no realistic hope of being
elected.
• She ran as an Independent and won. She won again in 2007
and 2011.
• But this is because she is a well known and popular
personality in Edinburgh.
• Had she been a “normal” candidate the party
machine would, in all likelihood, have kept her
out of politics.
• In 2011, the SNP did not register its list
candidates on the ballot paper at all.
• Instead it placed the slogan "Alex Salmond for
First Minister" where its list candidate's details
should go.
• This achieved the effect of boosting the SNP
vote as Alex Salmond is the SNP's biggest name.
• This was clever politics!
• It broke no rules.
• However, some argue that ethically, parties
should state who their List candidates really are.
• It is argued it is unfair to the voters, who are
kept in the dark and who can end up with
a complete unknown as their List MSP.
2. CONFLICT – The system elects two
types of representative – constituency
MSPs and Regional MSPs. Ill feeling can
result from one group claiming
superiority over the other. For example,
constituency MSPs may think they are
more important because people elected
them directly. Regional MSPs may
believe they have a greater workload
because they represent a larger area.
Example
• In August 2003, the then Labour MP Brian Wilson
described list MSPs as “a waste of space”.
• There is an element of rivalry between constituency
and List MSPs.
• Constituency MSPs tend to see themselves as the
"real" MSP for the constituency.
• They, after all won the constituency election.
• It is perfectly possible to have a situation, such as in
East Kilbride for several years, where Scottish
Labour's Andy Kerr won the constituency seat of
East Kilbride.
• But the defeated SNP candidate, Linda Fabiani was
elected "through the back door" of the Party List
election.
• In 2011 Linda Fabiani defeated Andy Kerr to become
the constituency MSP for East Kilbride.
3. CONFUSION – The Scottish
Parliament has constituency and regional
MSPs. This may confuse people who may
be unsure whom to contact if a problem
arises. Also, people are put off voting
because they do not understand the
AMS.
4. EXTREMIST PARTIES – Some people
are worried that extremist parties may
have some representatives elected. This
may provide them with a platform for
their extremist views and allow them to
secure even more support. The British
National Party is a good example.
AMS and by-elections
• The regular by-elections of FPTP give the
voter the chance to express a verdict on the
performance of Government.
• Labour's loss of Glasgow East to the SNP in
2008 is a good example.
• With FPTP voters can punish an unpopular
Government.
• It could be over handling of the economy, a
foreign war, whatever.
• The voter gets a real chance to register a
protest.
• By contrast, if a List MSP resigns, there is no by-election.
• The party simply replaces him/her with some one else.
• You then have an “elected” representative that absolutely no-one
voted for!
• A classic example occurred in 2005 with the "election" of Andrew
Arbuckle MSP.
• Andrew Arbuckle “replaced” Keith Raffan as a List Scottish Liberal
Democrat MSP for the region of Mid-Scotland and Fife in January
2005.
• Raffan resigned as an MSP due to ill health.
• Raffan had been the subject of an investigation by the Scottish
Parliament into his travel expenses.
• Raffan claimed mileage for a return journey from Kirkcaldy to
Edinburgh while on a visit to the Isle of Man.
• Under FPTP the voters may well have decided to punish the Scottish
Liberal Democrats for having an MSP found to have pockled travel
expenses.
• Perhaps not.
• But it would have been the voters' choice.
• Andrew Arbuckle, therefore, was a member of the Scottish
Parliament who was never elected by the voters.