It was on a forum called Indian Officer. I know it's not accurate and that Winsten Charchil was eventually elected, as was Jhon Major and who knows, the same thing may happen to Garden Brown, but what it does demonstrate, apart from the enduring charms of Indian English, is that in this country it's quite unusual to simply get elected as prime minister. Whereas once you happen to be there or thereabouts when the previous incumbent resigns or gets ill, you can simply move next door and we'll tolerate you.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Today I Googled "British Prime MInisters who were not elected" and got this
It was on a forum called Indian Officer. I know it's not accurate and that Winsten Charchil was eventually elected, as was Jhon Major and who knows, the same thing may happen to Garden Brown, but what it does demonstrate, apart from the enduring charms of Indian English, is that in this country it's quite unusual to simply get elected as prime minister. Whereas once you happen to be there or thereabouts when the previous incumbent resigns or gets ill, you can simply move next door and we'll tolerate you.
It's largely because we tend to stick with one party through at least two elections before deciding they've cocked up and shift to the other side.
ReplyDeleteIf Brown loses, he will join "Duglus" and "Kallagan" as PMs who were never elected at all.
This may be because we don't elect PMs at all, we elect a local representative for our constintuancy not the Prime Minister yet in recent years you'd be forgiven for forgetting that.
ReplyDeleteWell yes, pedantry aside...! Fine, those three aforementioned PMs led parties that were never given a firm mandate via the electorate to assume power during their period at the helm.
ReplyDeletePhew.