"It just feels like we have completely lost control, the country is falling apart. Nobody really believes the PM can win the election"

I would be amazed if this actually came to fruition. It would paralyze the country yet again while they play party politics. That would be four PMs all from one election result. Four sets of resignation honours lists. yet another round of all change in ministerial positions. What would a new face actually achieve with so little time left in parliament time.

If this looked likely, I could see Sunak doing what Johnson threatened. That would be to call an early election. I firmly believe Sunak is in this for the money with the business interests of his family. If a VONC looked imminent then he has no interests in politics anymore. He knows he will not be the next PM. He will want a get out of jail free option, IMO.

According to polls, a GE would be a wipe out with the Tory party. If Labour step aside for the LD, there is even a possibility that Sunak would loose this own seat. He may not even have to go through the indignant process of resigning while in office.

I can easily see how there could be enough Tory MPs to trigger this. So many who have nothing to loose anymore. Many are stepping down as candidates, and many more who know they will be out of a job. I sincerely hope that if they do pull the trigger then Sunak sees the option of going to the ballot boxes. I can do without the last year of parliament being stagnated by yet more Tory in fighting.

  • SMITHandWESSON@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    10 months ago

    Naive question from a person in the states

    Do the Tory’s get unlimited PM do-overs as long as they control the seats to lock out a general election?

    • Wodge@lemmy.worldEnglish
      51·
      10 months ago

      It’s more a case of you vote for the party, rather than the person, so the party remains in power during their term, regardless of who the leader is.

    • SyldonOPEnglish
      4·
      10 months ago

      The prime minister is the person who holds the confidence of the house of commons. It is not the same as the US where the president is voted in by the public.

      The power behind the PM is by the voting power of the MPs who are elected to parliament. Basically which ever leader can get the most votes in the commons. There is not vote held for this anymore as it is by consent from the leader of the party who holds the most MPs. The Tories hold 352 seats for MP in a house that has 650 in total. Therefore whoever the Tories want as their leader is the PM. It does not theoretically have to be an MP. They can vote for anyone. This throws some constitutional issues into the mix, but really it can be anyone. There is no time limit on how often they can change that leader.

      There was a possibility that Johnson could have lost his seat if there was a successful recall petition held against him after the party gate scandal. If he was still leader of the Tories at that time we would have had a prime minister who was not an MP. The problem is that only people who have been elected can sit in the house of commons. You can be a guest to the house, but only those who have been given permission by the speaker of the house (Currently Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle) can talk. We have had prime ministers who have been Lords before, but we have never had a PM who was neither a lord or an MP.

      If there is no single party holds a majority in the Commons, then this is considered a hung parliament.