May running scared

[sbrt]

May starts her new job- 'running scared of a general election' and 'running scared of the peoples verdict'. Quotes from May,when Brown succeeded Blair.
Oh dear

[Pitfall Harry]

May starts her new job- 'running scared of a general election' and 'running scared of the peoples verdict'. Quotes from May,when Brown succeeded Blair.
Oh dear

Point noted, but Blair handed over to his arch-enemy Brown whereas Cameron kept May well out of the referendum battle so she could take over when he wanted to go.

I don't agree with individual PMs having a mandate. The mandate goes to the party. As long as the policies aren't radically different, I believe the mandate still applies.

I think May would be a fool not to go to the electorate soon though with the opposition (I use the word in its loosest sense) in such disarray.

[Graeme78]

I also think she should hold a snap election, labour are a complete mess at the moment, even if Corbyn was to be re-elected I don't think think they would do very well, he is a very polarising character.

[noel]

I think politicians will be a bit wary of the electorate for a while until things settle down a bit. I know it seems implausible at the moment, but a snap election before Brexit is completed could unite the defeated remain camp behind another party. British politics could be on the cusp of major changes and I think May will be wise enough to avoid giving it the oxygen it needs.

[Muddy Retriever]

I can understand why some people are calling for a general election especially when Teresa May and other Tories called for one when Gordon Brown took over. But we elect parties to govern not presidents and there is no convention at all in British politics to have one when Prime ministers change mid-term. Consider the following since the second world war.

Churchill to Eden
Eden to Macmillan
Macmillan to Home
Wilson to Callaghan
Thatcher to Major
Blair to Brown

There was no general election for any of these successions. And all of the above were before the law changed to have fixed term parliaments.

So I don't see there is any need to have one. It's not as if the referendum wasn't in the Conservative election manifesto of 2015. Not only that but Cameron even stated before the last election that he wouldn't serve a full term (albeit he expected it to be later and in different circumstances). I can't see there being much public appetite for a general election and the country could really do with a period of stability at the moment while we negotiate our exit from the EU.

[Muddy Retriever]

I think May would be a fool not to go to the electorate soon though with the opposition (I use the word in its loosest sense) in such disarray.

The Fixed Term Parliament Act provides for only two ways that an election can be held early

1. If the Government loses a vote of no confidence.
2. Two thirds of MP's vote for one.

It's unlikely that Labour MP's in particular would want a general election so it's a non-starter.

[Witton Park]

I'm with you MR.
I can't see the point.
Lots of opinion has been based on the uncertainty problem, that the referendum has left us without leadership and direction.
In just over two weeks, we now have the leadership resolved. Is it really in the Country's best interest to have to wait for a General Election to be able to sort out the direction and possibly end up with another leadership problem?

It would be practically impossible to put a manifesto together as well. How would you set out economic policy? Immigration policy?

Labour MP for Hyndburn, today in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph writes about the hatred, intolerance and extremism that is rife in the Labour Party.
He finishes his article by saying he wants his Labour Party back.
Labour looks like it has a huge battle on it's hands internally that isn't going to go away quickly. Last time this happened was in 1981 with the SDP Gang of Four.
The current situation looks to have more anger involved.

Corbyn wins, as seems likely and the Labour Party will take a big step to the left and I expect lots of ultra lefts to jump on and the centre-right to leave and form a new party or link up with the LibDems.

Corbyn doesn't win, and I think it really will turn nasty as it did when Kinnock took on Militant 30 years ago.

Labour are in no shape to fight an election at the moment and that is further reason why a general election isn't in our interest.

[sbrt]

'He has no democratic mandate'.
May is very vocal about this.
At least Mr May's hedge fund company will be pleased. They did very well out of her being Home Secretary.
Happy days😬

[shaunaneto]

Our government taking advantage of positions of power and influence to make loadsa money. Doesn't sound like them at all.

[gej]

Churchill to Eden
Eden to Macmillan
Macmillan to Home
Wilson to Callaghan
Thatcher to Major
Blair to Brown

Interesting that with the exception of Macmillan, the unelected successor is less well regarded than their predecessor:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...United_Kingdom