Why the hell did the UK end up with a prime minister that nobody voted for?

Answer 1

Blame it on the British electoral system. We vote for a party, not a leader. Rightly or wrongly, once in power the party with the Commons majority have the right to choose a new leader if they so wish and the public just have to lump it. Unfortunately we're stuck with Gordon Broon for at least another two years whether we like it or not...and I don't like it.

That is not to say that I agree with the system. To my mind Gordon Broon does not have any moral mandate from the public to govern the country. The British public, in my humble opinion, voted on the policies and Cabinet that were presented to us by Tony Blair at the last election and the one thing I do not agree with is for a new political leader to be appointed during that term who then decides to pull the country in a different direction and ignore the manifesto pledges that were presented to us at the last election which is exactly what Gordon Broon is doing. We did not vote for Gordon Broon or his 'vision', but he's going to force it on us anyway because he can and that is just plain wrong.

The laws on handover of ultimate power in this country needs to be changed so that any Prime Minister standing down must then call a general election so the country has the right to choose who they want as their leader. Whilst I can't call Gordon Broon's rise to PM undemocratic because the law as it stands allowed it, it is certainly a cynical use of the privilege and it is certainly telling that we now are stuck with a Prime Minister who had the chance to call an election based on his own principles that he would have won, and he bottled it.

The other question is, given Scottish devolution and creation of the Scottish Parliament under Labour, is it right that a member of Parliament elected to a Scottish constituency should have the right to sit in the English Parliament? Surely Gordon Broon should be sitting in the Scottish Parliament.

All in all, good question and one that raises more questions than you'll get answers for.

Answer 2

In Britain they vote for an MP instead of a Prime minister. the prime minister is then the person most likely to command the support of a majority in the house of commons, which is usually taken to be the leader of the largest party, in this case, Labour.

It is a convention in Britian that when a Prime minister resigns, the new leader of the leading party takes over. Since Labour voted Brown as their leader, he is the new Prime minister. Conventions are non-legal rules that govern Government. A precedent has already been set for this with John Major becoming Prime minister after Thatcher resigned.

The theory is that since the people voted for the party and its manifesto, then if the Prime minister is someone that the party itself has chosen to be in charge, the party feels that person fulfils or will fulfil their agenda.

However, Britain is moving towards a more Prime ministerial style of Government and therefore, it does place the Prime minister in a position where he can act on his own will, rather that the collective will of the cabinet or government.

Answer 3

Nobody? Enough people voted for him to land him the job.

The voting was limited to members of the majority party in the Lower House of Parliament.

There is no requirement in the British system for Prime Ministers to be elected by a democratic vote, sadly.

Answer 4

They voted for a Labour government, which is what they still have. We don't have a president: we elect a party into government. It has happened before James Callaghan; Alec Douglas-Hume and John Major were all prime minister without winning a general election, though Major did, of course, go on to win one.

Answer 5

Because unlike past times when the Prime Minister has resigned or died the deputy did not take over, so the Labour party had to have an election for leader. This, rather like Bush's election was rigged and those who sort to run against the Scottish pig were told to leave well alone so that he was not even voted leader by his party. As has been said elsewhere on the forum, Stalin would have been jealous.

Answer 6

We have never had a vote for a Prime Minister, we only have a vote for an MP

Answer 7

Because we have party politics. In reality you voted for a party, even though you may have just voted for a local person to do a local job. If you don't like it, next election vote for any independent candidate on the ballot. That would be wonderful if it came true, parliament filled with a bunch of wide eyed innocents with no party whip forcing them to vote in a particular way.

Answer 8

It's not the first time, although most recently, John Major at least won an election in his own right. The US has a history of Vice Presidents becoming unelected Presidents, too...

Answer 9

For exactly the same reason that you will not get an opportunity to vote in a referendum about the new European Union Treaty (replacing almost entirely the European Constitution); because those in power relinquish it reluctantly.

Answer 10

Hey! Do you think any Government cares about what we think or want? I know we can't have a referendum on everyone and everything. The British deal with it in the best way (I'm English born and pi**ed off) by moaning and doing f-all. I just wish the world would realise a more powerful way of 'voting'; and that's boycotting...