What is 'first past the post' and why does it lead to results like this? The reason for the apparent disparity if the UK's first past the post (FPTP) voting system - in which the candidate with the largest number of votes in their constituency is elected. It’s a simple premise, but one that benefits Labour and the Conservatives. According to the Electoral Reform Society, which is against FPTP, this system leads to a situation where “even if millions of voters support the same party, if they are thinly spread out across the UK they may only get the largest...