All governments are coalitions (with the possible exception of some dictatorships). Under the first-past-the-post system the coalitions tend to be disguised by the fact that the competing factions tend to be inside the major parties, rather than having a formally separate existence. This reduces the power of voters to pick and choose between the various factions.

First past the post results in a dictatorship by small majorities. In fact it results in a dictatorship by a small controlling minority within a larger party which may or may not have received more popular votes than its opponents. In 1951 Labour received a million more votes than the Tories, and lost the election; in 1974(February) the Tories got 200,000 more votes than victorious Labour.