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We’re Getting A New PM, But This Doesn't Mean We Should Have An Election

We’re Getting A New PM, But This Doesn't Mean We Should Have An Election

You're all wrong.

James Dawson

James Dawson

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Today, after leading his cabinet for the final time in PMQs, David Cameron tendered his resignation as the prime minister, meaning that, as of today, former Home Secretary Theresa May has officially become the 13th PM to have taken office during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

David Cameron's resignation followed on from our 23 June public vote on the UK's membership of the European Union, with 17,410,742 (51.89%) deciding that they wanted Britain to leave.

You might not like it, but there is precedent that issues of national sovereignty are put to direct vote, including a previous vote on our membership of the European Economic Community in 1975.

The people were allowed to speak and they decided they wanted Brexit - and, to be honest, the bitter people still whining about it need to get past it.

It was the Brexit vote that led to Theresa May becoming our prime minister as it was what lead to Cameron standing down and the Conservatives electing their new leader. But now people are arguing that we should have another general election to re-elect our MPs. These people need to have a reality check.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

The argument goes that we never voted for Theresa May to be our prime minister and therefore we should be given a choice on whether we want her. These feelings were echoed by other opposition parties - Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens - who have come together to have called for a 'snap' general election.

Labour's election coordinator Jon Trickett said it was crucial for the country to have a "democratically elected prime minister" and branded Ms May's election a 'coronation'.

"It now looks likely that we are about to have the coronation of a new Conservative prime minister," he said. "It is crucial, given the instability caused by the Brexit vote, that the country has a democratically elected prime minister."

But the problem with this argument is that it assumes that in Britain we elect our prime minister, and the problem with that assumption is it means you're making a fundamental misunderstanding of how our parliamentary system works.

It's not that I don't think the Tories aren't doing a shit job of running the country, they definitely are in my personal opinion. And you're all entitled to yours. In my opinion we would be much better off if Labour were in power and Jeremy Corbyn had his hands on the country's steering wheel.

He likes the cat. Featured Image Credit: PA Images

But in Britain we don't have a 'Presidential System' of directly electing our country's leader, like they do in the USA. Instead, we vote for our MPs on a constituency basis. Our MPs are elected to represent their local area in parliament. Yeah, it's true political parties put candidates forward, but anyone can stand as a candidate come general election time, as long they cough up £500.

After a general election, whichever group of individually selected constituency MPs that can band together to command enough of a majority (or, in rare cases, a minority) to pass legislation in the House of Commons, gets to form the government - it's up to the party in power to choose their leader.

This is a dodgy system democratically - you could argue that the USA's presidential system is more democratic and that the first-past-the-post 'constituency' system we currently have is antiquated. I would even agree with you there. But with the current system as it is, there's no reason the Conservative Party should have to hold a general election. You vote for a representative in your area, not for a person to take charge of the country.

In fact, the 'Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011' brought in under the previous coalition government is supposed to mean that every general election happens every five years, with the next due in 2020.

It's also completely hypocritical for Labour to call for a general election on the basis of 'democracy'. When Tony Blair stepped down as leader of the Labour Party in 2007, he was replaced as the prime minister by Gordon Brown who led the country for three more years and that was back before the 'Fixed Term Parliament Act' when it was up to the party in power to call an election.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

The 'Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011' actually makes it fairly tricky for Theresa May to call an election. Under the terms of the act, two thirds of parliament would have to agree to an election being called.

The Conservatives were elected on a manifesto at the 2015 general election and they're yet to implement a lot of that legislation. Of course Brexit is a game-changer and policies may alter, but big, unexpected events mean governments change policies and renege on their manifesto promises. The recession of 2007/8 impacted on the implementation of Labour's 2005 general election winning manifesto - and, at the end of the day, when you vote in a government you trust them to be pragmatic - shit happens, policies change.

People whinging and saying the government has to have a general election are the same types whining and saying we should have another vote on Brexit. Their main reason for complaining is that they want the Tories out, which is fair enough, but they should just admit it rather than using the guise of 'democracy'.

Demanding an election and calling it 'undemocratic' not to do so is puerile and it demeans the intelligence of the people saying it. It makes them look like dumb babies throwing their rattles out of the pram.

Personally, I don't think it would turn out too badly for the Conservatives to have a snap general election anyway. With the Labour Party looking as fucked as it is right now, it would probably mean the Conservatives increasing their majority in parliament. But, at the end of the day, it's Prime Minister Theresa May's call. She's been elected leader of her party and therefore leader of the country and she's not obliged to call one.

We've got a new prime minister but we're probably not having a general election. Get over it.

Words by James Dawson

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