REBELLION BY THE SEASIDE: HOW SINGLE MEMBER PLURALITY HAS AFFECTED MEMBERSHIP DISSENT AT THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE

Abstract

This article argues that the raucous reputation of the Labour Party's annual conference, which led to a major restructuring of the event in 1997, has been partly driven by the impact that the single member plurality (SMP) electoral system has had on the party's organisation. The article compares Labour's experience of working under SMP with that of the Danish Social Democrats under list PR. It argues that SMP has created a significant internal opposition within Labour, something that the SD leadership, working under list PR, has not had to deal with.