How First Past The Post has caused extreme inequality in UK episode artwork

EPISODE · May 18, 2026 · 34 MIN

How First Past The Post has caused extreme inequality in UK

from The National Podcast · host The National Podcast

We all know First Past The Post is an unfair voting system which produces governments the vast majority of people in the UK – and certainly Scotland – haven't voted for. But does it have much more to answer for than we realise? We spoke to Linlithgow-based researcher and data analyst Stuart Donald for a fascinating conversation about how the UK's continued use of First Past The Post has led to inequality becoming deeply entrenched in society over many decades and is now even making Scottish politics dysfunctional.

We all know First Past The Post is an unfair voting system which produces governments the vast majority of people in the UK – and certainly Scotland – haven't voted for. But does it have much more to answer for than we realise? We spoke to Linlithgow-based researcher and data analyst Stuart Donald for a fascinating conversation about how the UK's continued use of First Past The Post has led to inequality becoming deeply entrenched in society over many decades and is now even making Scottish politics dysfunctional.

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How First Past The Post has caused extreme inequality in UK

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This episode was published on May 18, 2026.

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We all know First Past The Post is an unfair voting system which produces governments the vast majority of people in the UK – and certainly Scotland – haven't voted for. But does it have much more to answer for than we realise? We spoke to...

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