8 Comments
User's avatar
Lee's avatar

In a Westminster system the only place the choice of parliamentary leader belongs is with their parliamentary colleagues

If the members want a say beyond choosing their local member then they can vote for Party Chairman (or in Labour the NEC) but return the choice of Parliamentary leader to the MPs where it belongs

Expand full comment
Lee David Evans's avatar

Thanks for your comment. It feels unlikely to me that this will happen, but undoubtedly one of the big causes of instability in the party has been the way different people ultimately choose the leader (members) than who can remove them (MPs). So we’ve ended up with MPs’ second preference winning with the members only to be removed (e.g. IDS and Truss).

Expand full comment
Lee's avatar

A primary style system of members or voters makes a kind of sense in a system with a directly elected executive like a US Presidential system but makes no sense at all in a Westminster Parliamentary system where the PMs authority comes solely from the confidence of parliament

Just imagine a scenario in 2017 where Labour win by 10 seats but 50 Labour MPs decide they can’t give executive power and the security clearance & power over defence that the office of Prime Minister comes with, to Jeremy Corbyn, it would have been a constitutional nightmare but it’s possible when a party leader can get the job while being opposed by his own party MPs

Expand full comment
Steve's avatar

Now I'm speaking from America, so take that into consideration. A problem the Tory's had(have?) is They Didn't Listen to what Votes were really saying. Unchecked Immigration, no Real Brexit, And here you are today. Out of power, Not Trusted, Riots (Make no mistake what drove those riots is This There...Waiting...Watching.).

Expand full comment
Ian Watkins's avatar

The issue is that the people in CCHQ and many of their MPs are really Blue Lib Dems, they aren't conservative by inclination but "progressive" (at least in their own eyes). This means that they are completely out of touch with both the local associations and the general public. Note how many of the Party great and good came out immediately after the drubbing at the election and effectively said that they lost because they weren't Starmer enough. So they want a Blue Lib Dem leader which the associations and the wider public find about as appealing as a bucket of sick. Hence they fail and will continue to fail. If Reform can get their act together and become an effective political party then the Tories are toast.

Expand full comment
Steve's avatar

" If Reform can get their act together and become an effective political party then the Tories are toast."

IF being the operative word. Once again looking from The Outside The Reform Party is pretty much the I'm Against It Party, The I'm Mad As Hell Party.

We have them here. The thing that will keep them from being successful (WIN) is the inability to Compromise. To "Take the 60% and come back late for more." Ronald Reagan.

Expand full comment
Ian Watkins's avatar

Have you watched Farage's interview on Triggernometry?

Expand full comment
Steve's avatar

No, I'll check It Out. Thanks. One thing I like abut hm is he Looks like he's having Fun.

Expand full comment