This isn’t democracy. Actually, that’s exactly what it is.
The UK government is facing mounting calls to hold a general election as voters demand a say in who runs the country.
The whole point of a democratic system is that we get to remove governments. However, the government hasn’t changed, merely the PM and we don’t elect PMs. We still have what we (well, you, because I didn’t vote) elected in 2019 – a Conservative (don’t laugh at the back) government. That his majesty’s loyal opposition sits on the same benches is a sort of bonus, I suppose, given that the Labour party is as bad if not worse. It’s just that the fault lines aren’t quite so obvious with them not being in office, but give them a chance and they will make the current shower look positively competent.
The point is, despite the shitshow going on, do we need an election and will it change anything for the better? Answers on the back of a postage stamp please.
Brett, 37, agreed. “It feels like it is not democratic to select a second prime minister without the public having a say.”
That’s not how our system works. It never has. We don’t have a president in this country. We elected a government. We still have that government.
By the time a new prime minister is appointed the country could be on a third policy vision for the country since 2019 “so it is high time they asked the public what they want”, he added.
Okay, there’s a point here. But it applies to every government. We never voted for ID cards, yet the Labour government went ahead and implemented the policy even if it was reversed following their election defeat. We never voted for Net Zero and so on. But we don’t have a direct democracy and policies snuck in mid term are nothing new. I’m not sure what the solution is – apart from a multi person gallows.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the Crown who invites him/her to form a Government.By convention the person appointed is the Leader of the largest party in the House of Commons.It could be someone who can command a majority in the House in the event of a hung parliament.The Electorate do not vote in or out a government, they elect Members of Parliament who then form a government.(It has the same effect normally , but not always.)
True. Although the monarch doesn’t actually get a say in the matter.
Not so.
Churchill was appointed by the King the first time around, not elected.
Nothing has changed, Charlie retains the power to hire AND fire.
Okay, let’s see what happens if Charlie actually does just that – chooses someone who is not selected as leader of the party. We will be faced with a constitutional crisis. Churchill’s appointment was an exceptional situation.
The monarch also has the theoretical power to refuse royal assent. See how soon that would last if invoked.
Just sayin’ mate.
At least the monarchy would serve some purpose if MP’s believed that the King would dissolve parliament if they screw up, might make them behave a bit better.
That’s true. However, we had all that unpleasantness in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to put a stop to that…
I wonder if the chatter about an un expected General Election is just gormless chatter or whether vested interests think they can get a *different* Government in place?
Labour always pretend they are ready to step forward, other parties hope to gain a seat or two, but I suspect that Sir IKEA is shitting bricks at the thought of taking up the poisoned chalice at the moment.
It’s a terrifying thought that an awful Government is protected from a more awful replacement by the awful situation in Global affairs. I guess we will have to depend on the stability of the Civil Service – and that’s an awful thought too.
“so it is high time they asked the public what they want”
Why, so they can carry on ignoring what we want anyway? I have no intention of voting for any of these idiots, they have proven themselves to be totally unfit to govern. Not only by behaving like a disorganised rabble but also by implementing policies that any sane person to see would lead us to ruin. Rather than being an opposition that held the government to account, the opposition have sat on the sidelines cheering them on and saying that they should be doing far worse damage than they are.
I’ve not voted for any of them since 2005. Never will again.
Still can’t help feeing that the drive to get back into the EU is behind all this.
“By the time a new prime minister is appointed the country could be on a third policy vision for the country since 2019”
What? It isn’t even on a second one. That’s the whole point of what just happened here: any other one is strictly verboten.
Jeff: I’m not 100% convinced of that. Only about 99%.
Only if screaming lord sutch was still alive compared to things like net zero, ban on sale of all diesel and petrol cars, lockdowns, mask mandate’s and some of the other policies recent governments have come up with his were quite sensible and if there was an election in the not to distant future he might actually stand a chance of winning
More to the point, it would be in the tory party’s interest to have a GE.
I would enable them to preen that they had done the honourable thing. Let Starmer take the flak for what is likely to be a horrific period to govern during, which will likely do to Labour what Johson has done to the Tories.
There is nothing to be gained for them by continuing in office.
Except for Sunak to embellish his CV.