Advantages and Disadvantages:
:check: it creates stability and strong governments, able to make coherent decisions, yet retaining the flexibility necessary to adapt to changing circumstances.
:check: MPs have a close relationship with constituents; they meet them regularly at 'surgeries', represent their concerns in Parliament, and deal with their grievances.
:check: the candidate who most people prefer wins the seat.
:check: it is simple and easy to operate, all that is required is an 'X' in the desired voter choice.
:check: it is quick to produce a result, for example, Newcastle Central was the first constituency to declare a result in 2017 at 11 pm, only 60 mins after the polls closed.
:check: FPTP has the effect of keeping out small, extremist parties by discriminating against them.
:red_cross: FPTP discriminates in favor of the 2 main parties, particularly those with concentrated support, so the government is unrepresentative.
:red_cross: votes are wasted on losing candidates or on huge majorities in safe seats, so not everybody's vote is 'worth' the same.
:red_cross: other systems also offer constituents, good local members to represent them, for example, STV and AMS.
:red_cross: most MPs don't achieve 50% of the votes in their constituency, so they are not representative of their constituency.
:red_cross: electronic voting today means the ease and speed of operation of FPTP is overrated.
:red_cross: it discriminates against moderate small parties with legitimate causes and ideologies, UKIP, the Green Party and the Lib Dems have all suffered at the hands of FPTP.