Downing Street Rejects Hague Call For Snap Election

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39188042

At least Mrs May has the sense to ignore this siren call from Hague. The Fixed Term Parliament Act was brought in, by the Tories, precisely to stop such snap elections and ensure that Britain has a stable Government, at least for 5 years.

[Jackdaw33]

"No parliament can bind its successor". A. Dicey.

[Samjenko]

Nothing in politics is 'set in stone', mikey.

Except Eddie's dreams, of course.

[ichkeria]

I would, nonetheless, love to see the government:
1 Call a vote of no confidence in itself
2 Lose!
3 And therefore be forced to carry on

Monty Python could do no better

[Gromit]

// Leadership of the Tory Party at a time when it was a poisoned chalice //

I do not agree. There was a proper contest in 1997 (unlike in 2016). Ken Clarke won the first two rounds, and Hague clinched it on the final ballot. I don't think anyone expected the Tories to lose 3 elections in a row, and that only came about because the Tories elected a succession of bad leaders.

[mikey4444]

Gromit....it was a poisoned chalice in the sense that the Tories were unelectable after the landslide victory by Labour in 1997 and then for the next few election afterwards. Being Tory Leader was seen as instant failure and hardly an asset to a career.

He did nothing to improve the Tories position whatsoever.

[Gromit]

Mikey,

No one knew in 1997 how Blair would turn out. The Tories failed for the next 13 years because Hague (and the rest) turned out not to be up to the task, not because the job was undoable.