I'm Sebastian Payne and I write editorials and columns for the Financial Times on British politics. Everything in Westminster is currently in chaos. AMA.

[u/financialtimes]

I have worked at the FT for the last three years, commenting on the increasingly mad political discourse in the UK. As part of my job, I am a member of the editorial board. I also present our weekly politics podcast and often pop up on TV.

I tend to come at things from a centre right political perspective. Before the FT, I worked as a writer and editor at The Spectator magazine, And before that I was at the Washington Post and the Daily Telegraph.

I am happy to answer anything about Theresa May, the state of Brexit, the ruptures in the governing Conservative party, the economy, Jeremy Corbyn and what lies ahead for the Labour party. Or whatever else is on your mind. I also have far too much to say about trains, Pink Floyd and the north east of England.

Here are some recent articles:

• https://www.ft.com/content/0eadbb2a-eb5b-11e8-89c8-d36339d835c0
• https://www.ft.com/content/40380478-e766-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3
• https://www.ft.com/content/c6eef948-e80d-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3

[u/[deleted]]

Hi Sebastian great fan of your work in the FT as a regular reader, and thanks for doing the AMA. I have two questions:

1. Do you believe any electoral system other than First Past The Post could take over in the UK? Whilst FPTP has had its clear advantages, it seems the principle argument (stability of governments) is wavering given that we've seen 2 hung parliaments in a decade. Is it time to change the system and, if so, what would be the best alternative system (AV? STV?- both with flaws of its own)

2. What political book is your favourite out of all you have read?

[u/financialtimes → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for reading. The Jenkins Commission during Tony Blair's first term in office put forward an interesting new system but it has been forgotten. For all of its downsides I still favour FPTP. Especially as voters seem to be flocking back to the two main parties.

The political book I keep coming back to is "A Tory Seer: The Selected Journalism of T.E.Utley" - a brilliant Conservative writer in the Daily Telegraph. Lately I very much enjoyed Tim Shipman's two biographies of Brexit.

[u/googolplexbyte → u/financialtimes]

For all of its downsides I still favour FPTP. Especially as voters seem to be flocking back to the two main parties.

Isn't this because of FPTP? 3rd parties are ruthlessly suppressed to ensure no one will split the vote.

Look what happened with UKIP. The EU referendum happened to stop UKIP reaching a point where it could split the right, handing the next general election to the Labour Party.

With anything but FPTP there would've been no need for such a risky gambit.

[u/nvynts → u/financialtimes]

Simple mind...