They've been trying to work out exactly what her powers are...
Liam Send a noteboard - 26/04/2010 01:31:04 PM
Doesn't the queen have to invite someone to be Prime Minister, or does she only invite them after Parliament nominates them? What does she do if it is hung parliament with coalition in place?
In theory she picks who she will invite to for a government (thus becoming the Prime Minister of it) but since a Prime Minister who doesn't have the support of at least 50% of MPs will instantly lose a vote of no confidence, it has become custom that the person who she invites has the support of the majority of MPs. For a hung Parliment I think Brown stays on until someone can get 50% of MPs to support them then the Queen will appoint him to be PM, then if the coalition collapses they stay on as PM until someone else can get enough support.
Basically, all the Queen does is rubber stamp what has already been decided.
I think this is the article I read a couple of months ago, although I'm sure at the time there was more emphasis on her role in Canada's situation a couple of years ago. Maybe it was a different article, anyway:
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Oh, how simply grand it is to be travelling by dirigible again. Direct us to the west good sir, tonight we will remember what it is to live.
Oh, how simply grand it is to be travelling by dirigible again. Direct us to the west good sir, tonight we will remember what it is to live.
British politics is ... like a basket of crazy muffins. But they taste nice.
- 26/04/2010 09:34:57 AM
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British politics or muffins taste nice? Or both?
- 26/04/2010 10:52:35 AM
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- 26/04/2010 10:52:35 AM
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Both 
- 26/04/2010 05:11:54 PM
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- 26/04/2010 05:11:54 PM
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Indeed
- 26/04/2010 11:01:30 AM
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Re: Indeed
- 26/04/2010 11:06:10 AM
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Didn't mean to put the effectively in there
- 26/04/2010 11:17:20 AM
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That makes more sense
- 26/04/2010 11:24:33 AM
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- 26/04/2010 11:24:33 AM
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They've been trying to work out exactly what her powers are...
- 26/04/2010 01:31:04 PM
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Yeah, I follow elections in lots of countries.
- 26/04/2010 11:11:28 AM
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Re: Yeah, I follow elections in lots of countries.
- 26/04/2010 05:17:55 PM
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It's all very entertaining.
- 26/04/2010 01:46:25 PM
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Re: It's all very entertaining.
- 26/04/2010 05:21:25 PM
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- 28/04/2010 02:49:51 PM
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- 28/04/2010 02:49:51 PM
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It works alright when you have a two- or 2½-party system with support divided geographically.
- 26/04/2010 04:40:31 PM
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Would it really be so bad if the BNP gained seats?
- 26/04/2010 05:03:06 PM
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I don't have a problem with it as such (I dow ith the fact that people want to vote for them)
- 26/04/2010 05:15:02 PM
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Re: It works alright when you have a two- or 2½-party system with support divided geographically.
- 26/04/2010 06:14:44 PM
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Big fucking deal. Coalitions of less than 5 parties = LAME *NM*
- 28/04/2010 12:03:36 AM
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Rather a bigger deal when it happens in a first past the post system. *NM*
- 28/04/2010 08:20:42 AM
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