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by mbmbn 1 hour ago
Why undemocratic? I thought parliamentary elections in UK worked like in most of Europe: you vote for a party, not a candidate.

At least here, it already happened, to have the PM resigning and then someone else from the party to pick up the role and that’s legally sound.
2 comments
gaiagraphia 1 hour ago
You vote for a local candidate, who may belong to a party. The candidate can switch party, resign from the party, etc, and will still keep his seat.

Whoever can prove to the King he can 'command the confidence of the house' is given the title of Prime Minister, and is free to form a government.

Unfortunately the system has flaws, and a sizeable chunk of people treat it all as a Presidential vote by proxy.

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greengreengrass 1 hour ago
> I thought parliamentary elections in UK worked like in most of Europe: you vote for a party, not a candidate.

They are. It's a parliamentary system, not a presidential system. Nobody votes directly for who will become PM, who is ultimately selected by the monarch as the person who can best command a majority of the House of Commons – normally the leader of the biggest party, of course, but not necessarily. Perpetuating this view is frustrating because it's not what the system is designed for, and I feel a common misconception among voters that they are "electing the PM".

With the increasing breaking of two-party politics, it would not surprise me if we see this precedent of the monarch choosing a PM who can command a majority tested in close outcomes in future GEs where no party gains an overall majority. I'll be particularly interested to see how the press describes such an outcome, if it occurs, especially if the result is that the party with the most votes doesn't go on to join such a coalition.

Nevertheless, it frustrates me when these changes are described as "undemocratic", as that's a common talking point perpetuated by a poor understanding of the constitutional basis of UK elections. If there is a desire that the PM should be directly elected, that would mean a substantial rewiring of the UK constitution more broadly.

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