CITIZEN,
DEMOCRACY AND CONSTITUTION
REFORM FOR BRITAIN AND NORTHERN
IRELAND
Letter June 2019 from our researcher to:
Public Administration and Constitutional
Affairs Committee (House of Commons) - replied;
Constitution Committee (Lords
select committee) -
replied;The Commons Library - replied.
Replies awaited:
Privy Council, Cabinet Office.
original e-mail header: Incumbent party
automatically to continue in government?
Reply please via e-mail
Lord President of the Council and
The Privy Council
Privy Council Office
Room G/04
1 Horse Guards Road
London
13th June 2019
Lord President, members of the Privy Council,
A question about our constitution of state.
Why should the incumbent party automatically be
allowed to continue in government? The party
(Conservative and Unionist) is in crisis and since
2016 in government they have failed to enact their
central policies. An important reason for this
weakness is that since 2017 the Conservative and
Unionist party has no majority in our
elected parliament the House of Commons: They lack
the full support of the UK electorate.
Briefly we will outline further arguments and
constructive suggestions for resolving the "brexit
impasse".
Crucially, because they do
not have a majority in our elected
parliament the House of Commons, they have no
constitutionally guaranteed right to rule, no
automatic right to remain in government simply because
they have lost leader May and hope to elect a more
appealing leader and prime-ministerial candidate.
The Conservative Party over
years (2010 onwards) in government
has failed to resolve a major issue of our time, UK –
EU relations. Why should such a party have the
apparent right to continue in government when they
have failed to deliver on this issue, are so divided,
are about to select a leader who may well be less
competent than the current one, a party for these and
other reasons manifestly incapable of realising good
and reconciling policy for the UK?
Theresa May was anointed as
prime minister with the claim that her "confidence and
supply" deal with the Democratic Unionists would
enable her to carry out her policies. That has turned
out to be unreliable. Several important divisions
(votes) in the House of Commons have been lost, the
party has proved itself to be incapable of obtaining
majorities in Parliament. After their misjudged
election of 2017, the Conservative party and Theresa
May claimed that, despite their lack of a majority,
they would provide stable government, This has has
turned out to be wrong, a failed prediction.
Through their Commons MPs the Conservative
party recently withdrew support from their party
leader May who apparently resigned as leader and
reportedly promised to resign as prime minister as
soon as a replacement (presumably a new leader of her
own party) can be appointed. So, clearly, the
government of Prime Minister May was not stable.
Candidates to replace May
as Tory leader were NOT (in contrast to May) elected
to the House of Commons as party leader.
The appointment of Theresa
May as prime minister was personal (ad hominem – sorry
about gender). She had to make her case for forming a
new government (to our quasi-presidial powers). Now
after May has gone, another candidate or candidates
for the job of prime minister must presumably present
their proposal to conduct government in ways which
have reasonable chances to solve the challenges facing
the UK (us).
We have argued above (June
2019) that the Tory party must NOT automatically be
allowed to continue in government. Now other party
leaders should be invited to present their proposal to
form a government. They would need to describe policy
which could attract majorities in Parliament. For
instance, the idea of accepting the EU – UK withdrawal
agreement on the condition that a referendum be held
which enables the electorate to decide on whether to
accept this agreement. Creative ideas are called for,
things which do not fit easily to our encrusted,
mystifyingly uncodified and mainly ancient governance
system and constitution of state. For instance,
inter-party, task-oriented, provisional alliances
could be formed in order to bring about minimally
conflictual resolution-seeking solutions to public
issues. Parliamentary majorities would be needed: Such
could well be available in a genuine search for
compromise, with motivation to find optimal solutions
for all people concerned.
Your urgent attention to the above question would be
much appreciated by many citizens of the UK.
Yours sincerely,
-------------------
Contact:
Wallace-Macpherson
e-mail: wm@iniref.org