Liz Truss is our new PM

[Jayhawker Soule]

A woman so dense, light curves round her.

Clever line.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Clever line.

I can’t claim the credit I’m afraid

 

[LuisDantas]

Am I wrong in understanding that even Tory supporters are not all that enthusiastic about her election?

 

[Rival]

Am I wrong in understanding that even Tory supporters are not all that enthusiastic about her election?

I would argue yes. The whole cabinet is a disaster and this is noted across party lines. It's so bad that many Tory voters who didn't particularly like Johnson would still rather have Johnson than anyone else on offer.

 

[Augustus]

I think we need to caveat this by saying that this only happens when a PM stands down halfway through his term and the party in power still has their mandate to rule, as far as the law sees it. They elect a new leader from the same party.

The people who moan that it is "undemocratic" that we don't vote for PM are basically asking for a presidential system as we never vote for the PM.

The same people will moan about how "embarrassing" it is that the PM is an idiot, yet seem to want to give them more power as a directly elected figure in a presidential system.

The same people will moan that it is so undemocratic that we can't get rid of the PM when he lies about everything like Boris, while also moaning that it is undemocratic when they are replaced, and that it's undemocratic to have a parliamentary system where it is easier to replace them, and that they should be directly elected and thus harder to replace (like Trump).

 

[Revoltingest]

At least Britain has female PMs.

That could be read 2 ways.

 

[Rival]

The people who moan that it is "undemocratic" that we don't vote for PM are basically asking for a presidential system as we never vote for the PM.

The same people will moan about how "embarrassing" it is that the PM is an idiot, yet seem to want to give them more power as a directly elected figure in a presidential system.

The same people will moan that it is so undemocratic that we can't get rid of the PM when he lies about everything like Boris, while also moaning that it is undemocratic when they are replaced, and that it's undemocratic to have a parliamentary system where it is easier to replace them, and that they should be directly elected and thus harder to replace (like Trump).

Yes

I just thought I needed to clear up that this isn't how usual elections work.

 

[RestlessSoul]

The people who moan that it is "undemocratic" that we don't vote for PM are basically asking for a presidential system as we never vote for the PM.

The same people will moan about how "embarrassing" it is that the PM is an idiot, yet seem to want to give them more power as a directly elected figure in a presidential system.

The same people will moan that it is so undemocratic that we can't get rid of the PM when he lies about everything like Boris, while also moaning that it is undemocratic when they are replaced, and that it's undemocratic to have a parliamentary system where it is easier to replace them, and that they should be directly elected and thus harder to replace (like Trump).

What certainly is undemocratic, is a first-past-the-post electoral system which delivers an 80 seat majority to a party which won 44% of the popular vote. And that’s as true whichever of the two main parties is the beneficiary.

 

[Secret Chief]

Another ******* ****.

 

[Augustus]

What certainly is undemocratic, is a first-past-the-post electoral system which delivers an 80 seat majority to a party which won 44% of the popular vote. And that’s as true whichever of the two main parties is the beneficiary.

It's also "undemocratic" when a party that gets 5% in a PR system gets to hold the government hostage by threatening to collapse the coalition.

All democracy is imperfect, and PR systems are no different. I don't agree these imperfections make them "undemocratic" though.

For example, FPtP is democratic at the local level. That this doesn't scale to national level proportionality doesn't mean it is undemocratic.

I think we should choose half of our MPs by sortition (i.e. a random selection from the general public) and it would mitigate many of the major problems and would be far more democratic even though these MPs would never receive a single vote.

At the moment, people who display the strongest support for PR, are often those who are most concerned about 'populism', the far-right, dishonest political rhetoric, etc.

PR would likely be a significant boost for all of those things.

 

[ChristineM]

Another ******* ****.

So eloquently put

 

[Subduction Zone]

A cross between Thatcher and Johnson who is purported to have said:

"I want people to buy British because it's the tastiest food and the most exciting food."
​

What could possibly go wrong with such an insightful leader at the helm?

I guess that Britain is okay with conservative leaders but they can't deal with those uppity liberal ones.

 

[Altfish]

The people who moan that it is "undemocratic" that we don't vote for PM are basically asking for a presidential system as we never vote for the PM.

The same people will moan about how "embarrassing" it is that the PM is an idiot, yet seem to want to give them more power as a directly elected figure in a presidential system.

The same people will moan that it is so undemocratic that we can't get rid of the PM when he lies about everything like Boris, while also moaning that it is undemocratic when they are replaced, and that it's undemocratic to have a parliamentary system where it is easier to replace them, and that they should be directly elected and thus harder to replace (like Trump).

Whilst I can see where you are coming from, I disagree.
At the last General election, you had a choice Johnson or Corbyn; prior to that May or Corbyn, prior to that IIRC Milliband or Cameron. - so you did know who would be PM if that side won.

Not so with Truss, Brown, etc.

 

[Altfish]

At least Pritti Patel has gone - some scrap of good news

 

[Augustus]

Whilst I can see where you are coming from, I disagree.
At the last General election, you had a choice Johnson or Corbyn; prior to that May or Corbyn, prior to that IIRC Milliband or Cameron. - so you did know who would be PM if that side won.

Not so with Truss, Brown, etc.

Then you want a presidential system, not a parliamentary one.

Under this you get a full term of Boris. Careful what you wish for

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I think we need to caveat this by saying that this only happens when a PM stands down halfway through his term and the party in power still has their mandate to rule, as far as the law sees it. They elect a new leader from the same party.

Same as us Aussies.
You've voted in a party, rather than a person, basically. At the time the party was voted in, they had a leader, but it's possible the leadership changes during their term.

We had a spate of mid-term leadership changes here for a while.

 

[Altfish]

Then you want a presidential system, not a parliamentary one.

Under this you get a full term of Boris. Careful what you wish for

Well, Truss is much worse than Johnson. Basically we are being run by Steve Baker's secretive ERG gang of retrobates, Truss is his new puppet

 

[Yerda]

Really can't wait to see what the fourth tory government in a decade has in store for the working poor, immigrants, The Woke Scourge, public funds, national infrastructure, the NHS and welfare systems. All very good I'm sure.

 

[Altfish]

I guess that Britain is okay with conservative leaders but they can't deal with those uppity liberal ones.

Not this Brit, only 43.8% voted for this government

 

[Subduction Zone]

Not this Brit, only 43.8% voted for this government

I did see a quick video clip of your new PM, at least I think it was her. My only thought was "Hmm, nice popo". A vast improvement over Boris.