Is Britain a two-party or a multi party system, or something else?

... Is Britain a two-party or a multi party system, or something else? Britain has traditionally been viewed as a two-party system, and some argued that still today - despite growing support for other parties at national election time, Britain will always be a two party system. And it can be argued that for the two main parties - The Conservative Party and The Labour Party - have been, and still are, the only real contenders for power in British General Elections. Paul Webb in "The Modern British Party System" "...only two parties in the system really 'count'". He says that two parties "absorb most of the votes cast in elections and consequently able to dominate the business of government".1 However, Andrew Heywood, in "Britain's Dominant Party System" states that "...the conventional view that Britain possesses a two-party system had been under attack since February 1974"2. Webb and Fisher in "The Changing British

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