For R1G

[Quizmonster]

Here's one for you, then...Remember how right-wingers used to whine on about Gordon Brown being "an unelected prime minister", despite the fact that John Major held that office for about a year and a half before going to the polls?
What do you think of David Cameron, who - despite being leader of a party that did not win the election - also holds that title? Is HE "an unelected prime minister", too? If so, the Tories are beginning to make a habit of it, aren't they?

[mike11111]

If Cameron were to die tonight I suppose Clegg would be PM temporarily until such time as the Tories elected a new leader.

[Quizmonster]

As regards the present coalition government, Mark, I don't know what appeared on the voting-forms in YOUR constituency, but certainly there was no Con/Lib-Dem candidate in MINE. As far as I am aware, therefore, the present government was voted for by nobody...literally, NOBODY!

[MarkRae]

OK, once and for all...

The people did not vote the current government in, nor the previous one, nor the one before that. That's not how our system of democracy works.

The people elect members to represent them in parliament; they do not elect the government. The leader of the party with the largest number of elected members (hung parliaments notwithstanding) is then invited by the monarch to form a government. It is that leader, not the people, who "elect" (if you must) the government, usually (but not exclusively) from members of their own parliamentary party.

[Quizmonster]

So, tell us of an occasion when that leader "elected" a government that did NOT consist of ALL the members of his OWN party, whether including members of other parties as well or not? Cameron did not "elect" to have the Lib-Dems join him; if he wanted power, he was "forced" to.
We voters...well, apart from such idiots as those who imagine we vote for Prime Ministers...know perfectly well what elections mean, however you dress them up in constitutional palaver. Most of us don't even know who our potential candidates are, but we do all vote for the one who belongs to the party we HOPE will end up governing. If none of us voted, there wouldn't BE a government, unless Her Maj did a bit of eeny-meeny-miney-mo! And that would be a bit of a give-away for her, wouldn't it?

[MarkRae]

> So, tell us of an occasion when that leader "elected" a government that did NOT consist of ALL the members of his OWN party, whether including members of other parties as well or not?

On the assumption that you're not joking:
http://en.wikipedia.o...inet#Second_World_War


> Most of us don't even know who our potential candidates are,

You have absolutely no way of knowing that - how many people have you surveyed...?


> but we do all vote for the one who belongs to the party we HOPE will end up governing.

We most certainly do not! I know several people who vote for their local MP because he/she is an excellent local MP irrespective of party politics. You've heard of Martin Bell, I assume...?

[mike11111]

It is certainly true that in a very few instances the personality of the sitting MP can make a difference. The late Gwyneth Dunwoody always held her Crewe seat for Labour, even though at times the electoral demographics would suggest that she should have lost it. Similarly in my constituency (Tynemouth) the seat was always held by the redoubtable Dame Irene Ward for the Conservatives. When she retired the Tory majority gradually dwindled at each successive election until the seat was won by Labour in 1997 and has remained so ever since. In fact at the last election there was actually a swing to Labour here in favour of the current MP, who has a strong following across party lines.

[MarkRae]

> Similarly in my constituency (Tynemouth)

There will be instances like this all over the country. My Mum would have a fit if anyone thought of her as a Liberal Democrat, but has voted for Alan Beith since the early 70s because he's such a good local MP.

[mike11111]

Very true. Berwick was a true-blue Tory seat until the Lord Lambton scandal. Will be interesting to see the result when Alan Beith eventually retires.

[MarkRae]

Indeed. He had already announced that he wasn't going to stand this time, but changed his mine due to overwhelming support from the electorate...

[mike11111]

The reason I know so much about this is that at the time of the Berwick by-election I was a hard-up student. Although this was when the Heath government was at the height of its unpopularity, and Liberals were taking safe Tory seats, Berwick was considered to be rock solid. Although not an habitual gambler, I passed a betting office offering odds on the outcome. The Tory candidate was the clear favourite at 6-4 on. I saw this as a very simple way to turn £6 into £10 and laid a bet. The rest is history. I couldn't afford a drink for a week and have never laid a bet since.

[Quizmonster]

I should have thought it obvious that I was referring to ordinary, 'normal' British general election circumstances and not to worldwide war cabinets.
Same applies to the continued election, regardless, of extremely popular individual MPs. As you yourself say, you know only of "several people" who vote thus and, as Mike says, these represent (quote) "very few instances". After recent events re expenses, they are likely to become still fewer!
Given the people qualified to vote, I should say it's a given that "MOST of us don't even know who our potential candidates are" without recourse to any survey!

But...enough already...I'll leave it at that.