Doctor With A Copper Onto The French...
Crosswords1 min ago
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Funny you should ask that it nearly happened 30 years ago
From an article in the Guardian here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,2763,407374,0 0.html
In February 1974, Edward Heath lost his majority in the Commons but Harold Wilson was left without a majority either. Though Labour had more seats than the Conservatives, Heath tried to reach an arrangement with the Liberal leader, Jeremy Thorpe, to keep his place as prime minister, sustained by Liberal support and possibly coalition. In the end, with much of his party hostile, Thorpe declined.
Had a deal been done, the palace would have had to decide whether to let Heath form a government, or whether to let Harold Wilson, as leader of the largest party, take his chance first. On March 14, faced with Conservative and Liberal obstruction, Wilson made a speech at High Wycombe in which he said: "If Mr Heath and Mr Thorpe are determined to play the role of wreckers ... they and their parties will not be immune from the consequences of their own frivolous irresponsibility." This was construed as a threat to seek a dissolution and fresh elections. The Labour Left had been arguing that the palace would have no option but to agree, but most constitutional experts disagreed.
The Queen's advisers would be bound to ask if a dissolution was entirely necessary, and whether the government might be continued by other means - such as a Conservative-Liberal coalition or a Labour leader other than Wilson. In the event, Wilson's opponents backed down.
Amazingly, when her Maj gets advice that she doesnt like, she has in the past, arranged for her own legal opinion to say whether it is constitutional or not.
This occurred in 1962 when the Tories tooled up and said, after Mac has resigned, your next prime minisnter is.....(Alec Douglas Home, Lord Hume as he then was) - and her maj asked for and paid for her own advice as to whether she was bound to follow this advice (yes, said Prof Ivor Jennings as he pocketed the fee)
So....none of this is as far fetched as you think!
Geo V refused I was told in 1965 a dissolution in 1911 during the parliamentary crisis after saying well you have had three general elections in 12 mo, so be satisfied with the parliament you have got.