So how does this work? IIRC the party(ies) in power elect the Prime Minister. If he resigns from the party then he still retains power until - when? I assume they are elected for X number of years. If he refuses to go, then you have to wait him out and then elect someone new? In the past I have gathered PMs have at least some scruples and resigned, but and then the parliament elects a new PM, right?
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Yes. In normal times, it would be unremarkable: both Cameron and May hung on post-resignation until the Tory party elected a new leader, a process which typically takes weeks.
But Boris has shown repeatedly that he cannot be trusted, so there understandably is some pushback against that idea, and instead to have a caretaker PM in the interim (probably Dominic “Thickie” Raab, god help us).
Unfortunately there is no established process for getting rid of a PM who doesn’t want to go, other than for the Queen to sack him, and that hasn’t happened since 1834.
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Just in case anyone thinks reprehensible behavior is new for Johnson:
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He lasted a whole day more than Neville Chamberlain. I’m wondering if that was intentional.
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Every time I think of how dumb our system of government is in America and how much better the parliamentary system is in so many ways, some stupid shit like this happens that makes me question everything.
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This seems like a depressingly plausible reason for him to string it out til at least August 1st:
The National: Is this Chequers wedding party the REAL reason Boris Johnson wants to stay for months?.
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Not the Westminster system. You have to look at proportional representation if you want a fairly well-functioning system. FPTP is the devil, whether it’s in Westminster or in Washington.
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I’ve been paying so much attention to our own politics dumpster fire that I hadn’t realized how surreal the situation was in the UK.
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Here’s his “resignation speech”
Thanks, but no thanks. I listened on BBC America this morning and realized I hate listening to BoJo almost as much as I loathe listening to 45. I’ll not do either voluntarily.
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At least you have a codified constitution. Our constitution is an unholy mess of unwritten conventions, statute law, orders in council, statutory instruments, court judgments, learned treatises by constitutional scholars, parliamentary standing orders, civil service manuals, and letters to the editor of the Times (I am not making that last one up).
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I should’ve know that “Four Seasons Total Landscaping” included taking the piss in their comprehensive offerings.
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To me, the neighbouring sex boutique and crematoria are pure bonuses.
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A Motion of No Confidence in the Common - which he would surely lose, will have the government resigning or Parliament dissolved in hours - which is where this is heading.
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If it’s a motion of no confidence in the government, he’d win — Tory MPs are not going to vote for an election that would, at the very least, see a reduced Conservative majority.
If it’s a motion of no confidence in him as PM, he’d lose, but it would have no practical effect: he’s already said he’ll step down as soon as his successor is chosen, and there’s no mechanism for making him resign earlier.
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By announcing his resignation de Pfeffel has given the rebels just enough self interest to vote for the Tories to stay in power.
If he hasn’t left Downing Street after the Conservative Party conference in October, then he would certainly lose a confidence vote. He probably has a hereditary title (not done since Jim Callaghan Harold Macmillan, but it’s the sort of thing that would appeal to de Pfeffel) and seat in the House of Lords waiting for him if he leaves though.
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Do you think there will be a new election any time soon? Or are elections for suckers?
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