Coalescing for Change? Novel Coalitions in the UK and Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

In May 2010 two elections took place in traditional ‘Westminster’ polities—the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago—in which coalition governments took power. In both countries, a significant part of the discourse in the run-up to election focused on the inequities of the Westminster model, and, in particular, first-past-the-post. Yet, interestingly, the end result in many ways mirrors the kind of outcome often championed by supporters of more proportional electoral systems. This article compares and contrasts the two different elections, and asks whether such coalitions are set to become a regular feature of a more mature Westminster model.

Key Words:

• Trinidad and Tobago
• United Kingdom
• Westminster model
• proportional representation
• first-past-the-post
• elections
• United National Congress
• People's National Movement
• Congress of the People
• Conservatives
• Liberal Democrats
• Labour
• coalitions

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Richard Hayton, Adam White, Tony Payne, Tony Clayton and Ramesh Ramsaran for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.