What would happen?

[FP]

When Tony Blair turned up to see the Queen to get permission to dissolve parliament and hold a General Election on 5th May, what would have happened if she said 'No - no way'?

[cheyenne]

The end of the monarchy as we know it!!Britain becomes a republic,Royal  heads on the gates at Buck palace!!

[undercovers]

i fancy a good civil war - i'm on the Queens side, then when we have won I will stage a bloodless coup as her top general, declare marshall law and hold the nation in my iron like grip ... oh yes bow to me BOW 

[jake-the-peg]

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.

[netibiza]

I didn't think that the Queen (God Bles Her) has the power to say no.  She doesn't really have much to say about the running of the country - it's only politeness for Prime Minister to ask surely.

[FP]

I was just joking Netibiza!  It just had conjured up a picture in my mind of Tony knocking on the front door of Buck House and the Liz telling him to go away.  You are right of course, although Jake-the-peg's answer is very interesting, although I can't open the link Jake! 

[Peter Pedant]

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.

[bernardo]

He would have said "Oh all right then" and gone back to Downing Street.  She does have the right to refuse.

[FP]

Thanks, Bernardo.  I think that would have been very funny to see.