Blair to "resign"

[Drogue]

Re: Blair to "resign"

Originally posted by Vesayen
What do they mean when they say he is going to resign? He is not going to seek another term, or is he actually ending his term, early? Does the brittish legislature have a system some countries have, where a prime minister only stays in power so long as a certain portion of the legislature supports them, and they can call a vote at any time for a new election, or does brittain have fixed elections for prime minister?

Remember he's a Prime Minister not a President - he was never directly elected. He's staying on as MP for Sedgefield, his constituency, but resigning as leader of the labour party and PM. The next election can be called either by the PM wanting to call it or by the Queen disolving parliament before a new election (while the Queen does it, parliament votes to disolve itself first, IIRC). The other way of removing a PM is for their own party to remove him as leader, since party leader of the ruling party = PM (usually).

Originally posted by reds4ever
The left wing will dig up a candidate from somewhere. He won't win but they'll be a leadership challenge (of sorts).

Only if they can get the 45 Labour MP's signitures needed to stand.

[*End Is Forever*]

Vote Conservative!

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by C0ckney
someone like charles clarke would probably manage it, but he knows he hasn't got a prayer and is unlikely to offer himself up as a sacrificial lamb.

Already ruled himself out.

There will be token left wing challenge from Michael Meacher or someone like that but all heavyweight candidates have either publicly ruled themselves out or definitely wont stand anyway.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by *End Is Forever*
Vote Conservative!

Never!!

[Wezil]

What are Labour's prospects in the next General Election?

[DrSpike]

Taking the opinion polls today of Cameron's Conservatives versus Brown's Labour their prospects are not so good. But inevitably as we get closer to polling day some people will begin to question how much they want change........like in 1992.

My guess is that it will be a real squeaker, but Labour will edge it. It's really tight though so genuinely could go either way.

[Wezil]

Thanks. I didn't know if the government was doomed or not. It would obviously have an effect upon those that might want the job.

[Zulu Elephant]

Originally posted by reds4ever
Elections can be called anytime before a certain date (4 years after the last one).

Actually, the maximum is five years (thus the elections in 1987, 1992 and 1997). Only when a party is confident of victory do they go early (1979-1983, 1983-1987, 1997-2001, 2001-2005)

[reds4ever]

Ah. sorry!

[Zulu Elephant]

Re: Blair to "resign"

Originally posted by Vesayen

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070510/ap_on_re_eu/britain_blair;_ylt=ArXz0XZt9twhE.DjkG0psh.s0NUE

Does the brittish legislature have a system some countries have, where a prime minister only stays in power so long as a certain portion of the legislature supports them, and they can call a vote at any time for a new election, or does brittain have fixed elections for prime minister?

The Queen 'invites' whoever has the best chance of commanding a majority in the House of Commons to be Prime Minister.

In practise, this usually means the leader of the party with more than 50% of the seats.

It gets a bit more complicated in a hung Parliament when no party has an absolute majority. There's crazy precedent from the 70s for if that happens.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by BeBro
From British aggressors obviously.

How is this possible, when Scotland is an equal British partner in the Union?

People should stop getting their politics from this bloke:

[C0ckney]

Re: Re: Blair to "resign"

Originally posted by Drogue

Only if they can get the 45 Labour MP's signitures needed to stand.

is there an echo in here.

[Solly]

I see the left-wing media are trying to implant in people's minds that Iraq is his legacy. Instead it will be the 10 years of international leadership at a time when the world was lacking leaders elsewhere (Bush, Putin, Chirac etc). It's just a shame the British public are so poor at judging their politicians when they are in power.

[Lazerus]

Agreed.

Blair He's done a decent job overall. The one thing i dislike about his legacy is the damn human rights act rather then Iraq.

Brown i'm still abit iffy on, he'd better get the economy flowing freely again as it's his only real credential.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Doddler
It's just a shame the British public are so poor at judging their politicians when they are in power.

I tell you what, we'll let you pick the next lot. How does that sound?