NationStates Jolt Archive

From the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6664063.stm):

‘Gordon Brown says he is “truly humbled” as he is selected unopposed to succeed Tony Blair as Prime Minister.’

Well, the Party seems to be ‘on message’. Brown had so many supporters that the only other candidate for the Premiership, Old Labour’s John McDonnell, didn’t have enough backers to stand.

Brown, when accepting the nomination said he would “rebuild trust in politics” and promised a government with “new priorities”. He also mentioned that the relationship between the UK PM and the US President “must and ought to be a very strong one”.

No real surprises here, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens when Brown is actually PM. Maybe he’ll do a Kruschev and denounce Blair?

Maybe not.

I think he should have kept to 10 years of his word saying he didn't want the job and not gone for it.

Ah, British democracy. It's nice of them to at least pretend we get a say in who rules over us.

Ah, British democracy. It’s nice of them to at least pretend we get a say in who rules over us.
What, exercising your democratic power once every four or five years isn’t enough for you ungrateful hippies?

:p

Hold on...I can't believe this is true, but that's what I got out of the summary.

...Parliament elects the prime minister?

I mean, I think I'm wrong. That's why I'm asking...

Hold on...I can't believe this is true, but that's what I got out of the summary.

...Parliament elects the prime minister?

I mean, I think I'm wrong. That's why I'm asking...

You are wrong.

The Queen selects the Prime Minister.

Now I am not an SNP man. I don't like the idea of an independent Scotland. I don't like Alec Salmond. I would say I am a Lib Dem and a Unionist and proud of it.

But sometime's I get the momentary urge to vote for the SNP next elections, so we can get a referendum on whether or not to rid ourselves of the Westminster oligarchs.

You are wrong.

The Queen selects the Prime Minister.

Well, technically the party elects the party leader, and if they get a majority in the elections, the leader get to be PM. The fact that the Queen is supposed to "select" the PM is simple formality.

...Parliament elects the prime minister?
The Premiership isn’t an elected position.

In General Elections, the UK votes for parties on a first past the post system. The party with a majority of seats in parliament is installed as the government. Within itself, using its own rules an guidelines, the governing party elects the person to be PM. Traditionally, the person who leads the governing party is chosen as the PM; that’s been going on for a hundred years or more, IIRC.

So today, as Blair has given the date of his departure, the Labour party were electing their new leader, and, therefore, the next PM.

Fucked up, eh?

Well, technically the party elects the party leader, and if they get a majority in the elections, the leader get to be PM. The fact that the Queen is supposed to "select" the PM is simple formality.

I know that really. I was enjoying winding up foreigners with our bizarre and sometimes incomprehensible take on democracy.

I know that really. I was enjoying winding up foreigners with our bizarre and sometimes incomprehensible take on democracy.

Yeah, I knew you were. Personally I prefer the Scottish election system, with part first-past-the-post and part proportional representation.

I know that really. I was enjoying winding up foreigners with our bizarre and sometimes incomprehensible take on democracy.
I prefer trying to explain what the Scottish Executive is exactly for, and a rough outline of how to catch wild haggis.

Personally I prefer the Scottish election system, with part first-past-the-post and part proportional representation.

And 100,000 spoilt ballot papers because it was too confusing.

You are wrong.

The Queen selects the Prime Minister.

:eek:

No, really. How does it work? I don't believe you...

Hold on...I can't believe this is true, but that's what I got out of the summary.

...Parliament elects the prime minister?

I mean, I think I'm wrong. That's why I'm asking...

Well, Brown is becoming the leader of Labour and because Labour were elected, the leader of Labour (whoever it happens to be) is Prime Minister.

:eek:

No, really. How does it work? I don't believe you...

Yup.

Although she is constitutionally bound, these days, to pick the MP who commands the most support in the Commons (i.e. the leader of the largest party or coalition)

:eek:

No, really. How does it work? I don't believe you...

The Government is selected from the largest party in Parliament. The leader of that party is Prime Minister.

When Blair resigns, nothing will change with regard to the make up of Parliament; Labour will remain the largest party. Therefore, whoever they select as their new leader becomes PM.

The Queen does select the PM, but that is a mere formality.

so Brown gets to kiss the hands at the of june

so Brown gets to kiss the hands at the of june
June 27th

And 100,000 spoilt ballot papers because it was too confusing.

I don't really firmly believe that people had thier ballots "spoilt" because it was too confusing. It was very simple. One piece of paper had two columns.

One cross next to the party you want for regional. One cross next to the local candidate you want.

Other completely seperate paper, you're given a small list of council candidates that you rank from 1 to 6.

On both papers, clear and concise instructions.

The pencils handed out for using on the ballot papers however, where too light. You could easily erase the crosses on the papers.

I suspect small-time election rigging from both Labour and SNP supporters, in addition to a lot of bureaucratic cock-ups.


The election was a bit of a farce, but I still prefer the system.

I suspect small-time election rigging from both Labour and SNP supporters, in addition to a lot of bureaucratic cock-ups.
I agree that the voting system wasn’t as confusing as some parts of the media were making out, but OTOH it wasn’t the simplest voting paper(s) ever devised. Plus, it being the first Scottish vote with electronic counting, and the combining of the Holyrood and Council elections, must have had a factor to play.

Smells more like incompetency than conspiracy.

I agree that the voting system wasn’t as confusing as some parts of the media were making out, but OTOH it wasn’t the simplest voting paper(s) ever devised. Plus, it being the first Scottish vote with electronic counting, and the combining of the Holyrood and Council elections, must have had a factor to play.

Smells more like incompetency than conspiracy.

Well whatever the case of the exponential number of spoilt ballots may have been, I would like another election to be held. Hopefully Salmonds minority government will fail, then we re-do the elections right.

Even if there's a bigger SNP majority at the end of a second election, I'll still be happy.

Well whatever the case of the exponential number of spoilt ballots may have been, I would like another election to be held. Hopefully Salmonds minority government will fail, then we re-do the elections right.
Yeah, I’d like to see a second election, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

If it wasn’t such a close result, I’d wager you’d see much the same result, percentage-wise, in the second election. Mind you, the Nats only got their 1-seat lead over Labour by pressing for a recount on the Highlands & Islands list ballot.

But I’m interested to see what effect, if at all, the Greens will have on an SNP minority Executive.

Yeah, I knew you were. Personally I prefer the Scottish election system, with part first-past-the-post and part proportional representation.

I prefer the US system. You know, where the one who raises the most money and can fling their own feces furthest wins.

I don't really firmly believe that people had thier ballots "spoilt" because it was too confusing. It was very simple. One piece of paper had two columns.

One cross next to the party you want for regional. One cross next to the local candidate you want.

Other completely seperate paper, you're given a small list of council candidates that you rank from 1 to 6.

On both papers, clear and concise instructions.

The pencils handed out for using on the ballot papers however, where too light. You could easily erase the crosses on the papers.

I suspect small-time election rigging from both Labour and SNP supporters, in addition to a lot of bureaucratic cock-ups.


The election was a bit of a farce, but I still prefer the system.
i found it rather confusing. tok me about 5 minutes of pondering to make sure i'd put the right marks in the right places. still not entirely sure i got it right.

i found it rather confusing. tok me about 5 minutes of pondering to make sure i'd put the right marks in the right places. still not entirely sure i got it right.

Oh come on, I saw a sample ballot and it was simple. X in one column, numbers in another.

June 27th

That's the day i get my braces off!!! :eek:
[/totally irrelevant]

Plus que ca change.

I prefer trying to explain what the Scottish Executive is exactly for, and a rough outline of how to catch wild haggis.

That's easy, simply run around the hill in the other direction...

Anyway, I too will be interested to see if the greens manage to get anything done.