Would putting Gordon Brown in charge of Labour betray democracy?

Question

Brown looks favourite to become the next Labour leader, but unless I am misunderstanding something here (and please correct me if I am), how can he just be put in charge, surely there must be some sort of vote for him whether it be through a general or party election?

Personally I would like to see a general election since a party is influenced by its leader and surely therefore the leader of our country should be someone elected by the people which is the whole point of a democracy.

What do you think?

Answer 1

I assure you that the leadership of the party will be decided democratically by a one member one vote. This includes not just party members but political levy payers who opt to support the party by paying an additional levy to their trade union, or other socialist organisation (such as the Fabians, the Co-operative Party etc). This is the way the party has decided on its leaders since John Smith who felt that the old electoral college system - where the trade unions represented a third of the vote, the ordinary party members represented a third and the Parliamentary Labour Party represented the other third. It disproportionately handed power to the unions and MPs. The system the party uses now is fair and democratic. If we had an election each time a party chose a leader then we would constantly have them as party leaders frequently stand down when their party has done badly and you could argue that just in the same way you voted or not for Labour based at least in part on who was leading the party; that you voted or not for the Tories because Michael Howard was leading the party. Since the last election both the Tories and Lib Dems have changed their leaders - indeed since Labour came to power I've lost count of the number of leaders the Tories have had at their helm: Major, Hague, IDS, Howard, Cameron...am I missing any?

I actually don't think Brown will wait too long before calling a snap general election if he does win the leadership (whenever it may be) but as you've voted for in reality for your local constituency MP and you don't vote for who is PM, it isn't a decision that was ever in your hands in the first place.

Answer 2

We have had better prime ministers that were pretty useless .but the likes of Mr Brown does not appear to be up to the standard of them.To become a prime minister surely needs the will of the populace. Mr Brown is far to pompous to be prime minister but anything will pass these days for the leader of the Labour party.Cause they are all pretty boring gravy train passengers out to feather there own nest .they think by all the political rhetoric they speak . the ordinary people look up to them when really they don't .most of the time they are more known than anything . for not answering a strait forward question..The country can run its self they never for fill the peoples wishers at anytime on any thing, they expect pensioners ect to manage on a week less than they spend in the HP bar a day And this Country is run by the US of A Mr Blair has seen to that. Ask old Bushy if He wants Brown has PM Bushys word will carry more weight than the British People we'll be playing the stars and strips instead of the God Save the Queen AM I RIGHT OR AM I RIGHT

Answer 3

In the UK you elect the party by proxy of its individual candidates, not the leader of the party. The leader of the party is chosen by party members. If there is, by agreement of any potential candidates, to only field one candidate then he or she will win by default. As it is, generally one backbencher will stand just to make a proper contest of it and to give the favoured candidate (Brown) a platform to articulate his ideas.

I envisage that in any case a general election will be forced by the opposition parties soon after Blair leaves, giving everyone a choice between (presumably) Brown, Cameron or Campbell.

Answer 4

no it would not betray democracy. the party will vote for a new leader and brown will win simply because they have no one else upto the job.

Answer 5

I Agree with the common sense logic of your Question , but - but , with the present Slimy lot of Coniving Bastards the reality is that "Democracy" is the last thing that they care about.

Answer 6

For every country to be said it is democratic, it should give the people chance to say and vote for whom they want to be in power otherwise its not democratic

Answer 7

Democracy is not New McLabours way of doing things.

Answer 8

nope