Can a new prime minister take office without a general election?

[AgentKim]

Erm shouldn't we have a general election to vote in a new prime minister as no one voted for Andy Burnham to be in charge.
How is that allowed.
Im sure people voted for Labour because they wanted Kier Starmer to be prime minister. Where did Andy Burnham come from all of sudden.
Can anyone in the government in power be prime minister without a general election.

No I know you didn’t, but your opening gambit was rather expressing surprise at any type of civic literacy. Functional literacy is not the same as civic literacy though, you’re rather mixing them up in your response.

I do think in the past that many people were closer to the political decisions that shaped their lives - maybe that is because I am from mining stock and doesn’t just mean unionised. My relatives all knew their local representatives - because they would see them in the shop or the pub - and talk to them. Most people now could not name their local counsellor - I can. But that’s rare, right? Hence the disintegration I mentioned.

Most people now could not name their local counsellor - I can. I could name my local councillor.

I can too. He's a useless ex Tory opportunist Reform tosspot.

Part of the point people are making is that you didn’t vote for Wilson (unless you lived in his constituency).

Did you not notice how Brown, May, Johnson, Truss, & Sunak became PM?? It was in exactly the same way, without the need for a general election.

(I know there are also ones pre-Brown, I just don’t know them).

Wow! This was one of the topics I had to study for the British Citizenship exam. I’m shocked that someone who has been born and bred in this country is not well versed in the way your parliamentary democracy works

Great, so can I, most people can’t though.

I couldn't name any counsellors local to me though.

You just said you could. What?

I didn't. I said I could name my local councillor.

Yes they can. The party members vote for their party leader. That's how it is and has always been 🤷‍♀️

Oh good grief. Yes. Several times in recent years. Like it or not.

You asked a straight question and in response you were given 13 examples of when this has happened, including 4 in recent times.

Why are these considered snide replies?

The UK does not operate a US presidential type system.

Oh spelling, you’re so smart! It’s not like auto correct exists. What a dumb point to make. Sorry you’re bored.

Some people were really disgusting to her, you can’t ignore that.

I think on ballot papers there should be a short multiple choice quiz on our electoral system. If you get any wrong, your ballot goes in the bin.

Was Harold Wilson your MP?

If you came across as pleasant in your posts, I wouldn't have commented.

😂😂 it’s scary how many people don’t understand how we elect people to run the country.

Illiterate people don’t get to vote? You should go in the bin.

Enjoy your supercilious evening.

Talking to yourself?

Well, obviously they can.

if the question you are asking is: SHOULD they? Then no. I actually think the constitution should be changed so that barring serious illness or death, then the leader of the majority party at the time of the election, and the manifesto that was presented at the time, should be binding. If a PM resigns or is ousted by their party, it should trigger a GE.

IMHO this would put paid to party political infighting and individuals jostling for personal power: there would be no point of all the shenanigans until the next GE was looming so they’d be forced to work together. Then we could look forward to some semblance of continuity.

A McGonagle reader?

My bad. 😂

I've seen some of the questions from the British Citizenship exam. I am British. I've lived here my entire life. I am quite well educated. I couldn't get even close to 100% on that test! Kudos to the new citizens of the UK who managed to pass.