When watching the Queen. I heard that when Primeminister Tony Blair came into power, he had an audience with the Queen. She asked him if he wants to take that office and he answered yes. So is it really true that she has the last say?
2007-04-27 11:08:02 · 6 answers · asked by angelikabertrand64 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Royalty
Yes every prime minister is asked to form a new government by the queen. No she doesnt have the power to choice someone from the other parties to form a government but up to 1960's she could chose which minister should take over the leadership of her government. Twice during the current riegn she was called to place the chioce without a vote of the party but with advise of the senior member of the cabinet. today each party has a clear way to elect the party leader and to remove the leader with out the need to have to queen take part but she can in theroy choice not to accept the resignation of a prime minister and for the party to retain him as head of the government with him not been head of the party
2007-04-27 11:37:23 · answer #1 · answered by The High King 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In any country where the head of government and head of state are separate - that is, most countries - the new head of government normally receives his authority from the head of state. It used to be that after an election the new parliament would meet and, had there been a shift in the balance of parties, the old government would lose a vote in the Commons before the old PM tendered his resignation to the monarch, who would then summon a new one. I think Disraeli was the first PM to resign as soon as his party lost the election.
But in 1974 Labour won more seats and the Conservative incumbent, Edward Heath, asked the Queen for time to get the backing of the third party so he could continue in office. As the incumbent he still had first right of refusal on offce, so she agreed, but he was unable to form a coalition and a few days after the election he finally resigned. On occasions like this she could override the result of the election, as the losing PM still has the right to try and continue.
2007-04-27 18:44:42 · answer #2 · answered by Dunrobin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Queen Victoria actually managed to circumvent the choice of Prime Minister, and have her current Prime Minister, Lord Melborne, stay in power when she was a very young queen. But the invitation to form a government is strictly a formality these days.
2007-04-27 18:46:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
From what I learnt its just a very old tradition and she doesn't have any genuine power. She simply acts as a figure head. Ultimately if the government decided they wanted to get rid of the monarchy then they would do it. We have a thing in the houses of parliament called the House of Lords which I think is getting abolished by the government. There is just a lot of traditions which make life more interesting and most British people like having a figurehead that is politically neutral because it avoids the problems associated with politicians and presidents. Most English people can't get their heads round it so goodness knows what foreigners think!
2007-04-27 18:17:52 · answer #4 · answered by tigertigertiger 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
She asks him to form HER government. No, she doesn't have the right of veto though. It's symbolic.
2007-04-27 18:11:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
i don't know. 2 points here i come!
whoopee!
2007-04-27 19:55:10 · answer #6 · answered by ♫Katydid♫ 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋