What method is used to elect Members of Parliament (MPs)?

Okay, let's break down how Members of Parliament, or MPs, get elected in the UK. The system used is called "first past the post," and it's a pretty straightforward method. Think of it like a horse race – the first horse past the finish post wins, regardless of how many other horses are close behind. In each constituency, the candidate who gets the most votes wins and becomes the MP for that area. It doesn't matter if they get over 50% of the votes or just a plurality; the highest number wins. This system has been used in the UK for centuries, evolving alongside parliamentary democracy. One interesting consequence of this system is that it tends to favour larger parties, as smaller parties might get a significant number of votes nationally but not win many individual constituencies. While "proportional representation" is used in some other countries and even for some elections within the UK (like for the European Parliament before Brexit), it's not how MPs are elected to the House of Commons. Proportional representation aims to allocate seats in proportion to the votes received, which is quite different from the winner-takes-all approach of "first past the post."