Shall we tell the president?
Yesterday Gordon Brown announced that he was running to serve a full term at the next election. It was precisely the nightmare statement the Cabinet plotters had feared most, that Gordon Brown might win the next election and then remain in situ for the duration.
This is perhaps one explanation as to why unspectacular but nevertheless seasoned politicians chose to strike at the very moment that Labour’s electoral fortunes showed the stuttering of revival.
The Blair-Brown years have proved what Margaret Thatcher and her successor John Major proved before them. Once elected you cannot remove “the president”.
For that is what the prime minister of the United Kingdom has now effectively become in all but name. The electoral process is presidential – what could be MORE presidential than the current decision for the “presidential candidates” to go up against each other in debate in the run up to the next election?
The fact is that parliamentary control, and more seriously Cabinet control, over the premier has all but collapsed. Downing Street has become proportionately more powerful even than the White House.
The prime minister is free to go his own way. The party system ensures that unless a minister “revolts” all his decisions are rubber-stamped – even going to war. Something the Iraq inquiry is likely to demonstrate in spades.
So Gordon Brown has been able to mimic his life as chancellor, keeping his lieutenant Ed Balls at his side throughout – a man more powerful than any other minister with the possible exception of Peter Mandelson.
What last week’s failed putsch demonstrated was that there is no mechanism for getting rid of a president, not least because the people who think they elected him, think they should be consulted. Nobody likes to tell them that they didn’t elect him, and that only in a general election in which they must defeat his party can they do so.
I have no idea whether the head of government should be elected or not, but the present situation seems to suggest that he should be.
And while we are on leaders and candidates. Driving into London on the A40 last night I was confronted by not one but two of the current David Cameron “presidential” election posters, one each side of the same stretch of road. But what bright spark chose to follow Barack Obama’s “We Can” with “We Can’t…”?
Related posts:
- A Christmas cracker of a plot
- A TV debate will not give voters more choice
- 'This is Gordon Brown. Now, about my expenses…'
- In the footsteps of President Zelaya
- The Blair 'which job?' project
There are 15 comments on this post
British democracy lost a lot of it’s “democracy” quite some time ago. Our leaders seem to treat the elections and handing them a dictatorship for 5 years during which they can ignore all aspects of there being “an electorate” or people they are supposed to represent. But then in the last few days of their dictatorship they promise to change, promise to be a better leader, promise to be more democratic and try and convince us that they are the person to get us out of all of the problems they have caused (presumably because, as they caused the problems they have unique insight as to what decisions they made or failed to make caused the difficulties).
Our democratic system has seem far too much power passed to the party leaders. This has not been sanctioned by the electorate but is presumable caused by weak MPs and bullies in charge. we do need to see a radical reform of the Commons which requires the party leaders to hand back power to our elected representatives. Given that it is under Labour that we have seen these changes and given Brown’s love of power and being in control, is Brown likely to hand power ?
Perhaps the church elected GB.?
One thing for sure is that this man is on a mission from God, he is not going to die until he is dead and then , well?
As weekends snowmail suggested he seems to have latched on to the lightening’ Will to Power’ of Nietzche.
He is a man though, with great capacity and should not be undermined.. whatever happens in the numerically greater voting arena.
More Brown years literally mean more years at war and there is no getting out of it. After all, our streets need to be kept safe from terror, or so he tells us.
We will have the same agenda for the next five years, a political agenda that doesn’t give precedence to what needs long overdue urgent engagement. Just a few of those being better education for our children leading to less violence and a serious reform on environmental issues. Sadly, it would be much the same under a Conservative leadership. There is no such thing as Left or Right wing anymore, they all use the same umbrella.
adzmundo CND
That’s the trouble with the Conservatives, they know what they can’t do but haven’t a clue what they can do for the country.
On the bigger issue, perhaps it is time we seperated the executive from the legislative.
I propose a directly elected Chancellor, an old British title, to govern for a single seven year term. A seven year parliament, Commons and Senate, to sit concurrently.
Time to retire the notion of primus inter pares (first among equals) and scrap PM altogether.
Not like you to be factually wrong Jon . Brown is nothing like a President, though he may think he is one.Also he is not elected like one.All he is is an MP who stood in a seat against other contenders to Parliament.He was elected to head the Labour party by Labour members and not by the electorate. It is a fact that the they wanted the Labour party could remove him .
Hopefully there will be no need , the voters will do it for them.
Another important website I have just come across, for a possible correct way in which to manage our planet in the future is http://www.thevenusproject.com
adzmundo CND
nah, sorry adz, whilst useful that individuals and small groups paint alternatives, politics remains the art of the possible, the tweak, whereas totalities like the one advanced here are fortunately non-starters. No surprise then that this world-dominating project ends up a rather naff design on the side of a London taxi-cab, can’t see it getting much further than that myself…
All well and true but the prols can’t change it without revolution: you are at the core of the Establishment why don’t you give a lead? The Country is full of ordinary people who know we are in desperate economic and political trouble but have no platform or voice. You do.
It would appear we are developing the worst of both systems – prime ministers who think they are presidents but without the rein imposed by the Senate and Congress.
My hope is that the public’s disillusionment with politicians from all the main parties will lead to a scattering of Greens and inidependents in a hung parliament so that the ruling party has to listen for a change.
No one party has all the answers and it is time our system reflected that.
Regardless of who is in power, this is no good. It should be heading the other way, one would think, with the internet opening up possibilities for more direct rule from the people.
Jon, I’m sorry you suffered the driving hazard of TWO airbrushed Camerons at one and the same time, clearly could cause nightmares if not accidents. But didn’t quite understand your final comment ‘But what bright spark chose to follow Barack Obama’s “We Can” with “We Can’t…”?’ Surely it was always a feature of Barack Obama’s superb pre-election rhetoric to contrast ‘we can’ with ‘we can’t’ including such gems as “We can’t spend American tax dollars as if it’s Monopoly money” or “We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times … and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK.” I appreciate can/can’t as a rhetorical device is a simplification (like David Cameron’s airbrushed face) but it’s also a device that sketches some realities (unlike designer posters which primarily seek to glamourise…).
Jon, fear not dear fellow, there’s about as much chance of Gordon Brown or, his paarty of corrupt misfits, being elected as there is of plaitting Fog.
The British electoral system is a farse and, one that is so warped and twisted with corruption that, the British political system is the epitome of a cartel of deciet. Manipulating dates, fiddling statistics and feeding bull to a gullible public is all part and parcel of this corrupt cartel. Both Labour and Conservatives are a down right danger to this bedraggled UK. Both parties are guilty of creating a country & world of hate and terrorism. They have put this country and the British public at huge risk from terror attacks and, they have driven the UK into a Victorian squaller.
It isnt the electoral system that is a farce it is the cabinet/party system and the fact that under such a system elected MP’S have lost their independence.They vote along partiy lines with no regard to the views of those they were elected to represent.It allows big brother, bullying governanance and the likes of Brown to do virtually what they want .I will say that though by inclination i am a Tory , i fear Cameron will be no different.
It is time that when major issues are to be discussed, elected MP’s consulted their constituents before voting.If that were the case and individuals came to believe their voice was being heard , there might be more respect of our pariaimentary system
It comes down to the inexorable growth of the party system, where party Whips ensure slavish obedience, regardless of the MP’s own, or his/her constituents’, views.
When the governing party has a ‘payroll vote’ of more than 100 members holding offices of state, and the Opposition has MPs wanting to join the next ‘payroll vote’, the game’s up for real voter representation.
We now see the ultimate insult when, in order even to be adopted as a candidate for any seat with a faint hope of winning, the party specifies that you must first be in possession of either (a) female genitalia or (b) a darker than average skin-tone, regardless of any other qualities or skills.
Bring back independent MPs, local candidate selection and shoot the Whips – that’s a start.
Baz, thankyou your words and are much appreciated.
It if we don’t act and start implementing an alternative solution, then we will just stay in the same old pot forever.
Belief, in making a difference for the planet lie in our hands.
The venus project will not change the political situation in a few years, it will take many decades to kick start a real world.
Everyone is entitiled to their own opinion. I respect and fully understand yours.
adzmundo CND