2016 General Election ?

[Leekbrookgull]

We currently have fixed term elections with the next one due in May 2020,however there is plenty of talk of new leaders and a snap G/E maybe October/November to to achieve that parliament would need to change the 'rules' apparentlly so what actually is the situation ?

 

[Stat Brother]

Do you honestly think anyone who is unexpectedly handed power in August is going to 'the people' and ask 'us' for a mandate to lead in November?




After the last time!!

 

[Gwylan]

We currently have fixed term elections with the next one due in May 2020,however there is plenty of talk of new leaders and a snap G/E maybe October/November to to achieve that parliament would need to change the 'rules' apparentlly so what actually is the situation ?

From the other thread

There are three ways to call an early election

a) A vote of no confidence in the new PM. That's clearly not going to happen. It may happen after Article 50 talks are concluded but that's off the agenda for two years at least

b) A two-thirds vote of the House (the whole House not MPs present). The Labour party are no state to fight an election now but they would need to vote for it. Tories + SNP + Others wouldn't be enough.

c) A repeal of the FTPA. This could happen but there would need to be parliamentary time allocated and to push it through quickly there would need to be a guillotine on the motion. Not sure how that would be received by the electorate, it may be seen as something anti-democratic given we had a referendum

For b and c, there would need to be considerable Tory support for a GE. I'm not convinced that Brexiters would vote for something if it were seen to be a way of circumventing the Leave vote

There is a possibility that b could happen if pro-Remain Tories, Labour and SNP were to come together and push it through. The numbers are tight however and it would only need a couple of MPs not to play along for the idea to fall through

I would be astonished if there were an election before 2020

 

[severnside gull]

2020.
Fixed.
Not going to change.

 

[pb21]

On the one hand I think we should have one, on the other I can't see it happening.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Do you honestly think anyone who is unexpectedly handed power in August is going to 'the people' and ask 'us' for a mandate to lead in November?


Stat,just asking the mechanic.s of the current situation.

 

[The Rivet]

Pie in the sky wishful thinking. And anyway, Labour is buggered, a coalition between the lesser parties would feed UKIP so what election result would you get? As you were then.

 

[Eeyore]

Theresa May, being from the 'remain' camp, will need to convince a lot of backbenchers she is up for the job. I think Labour have got plenty of time to sort their problems out.

I would counsel against sensational predictions normally, but if Labour do sort things out in the next six months I can see a national election happening at the bequest of no confidence.

The one thing I'm aware of is that we are now spectators in a pantomime. The politicians are turning on themselves in a way I've not seen since the early 90s. Westminster has become its own country.

 

[Gwylan]

I would counsel against sensational predictions normally, but if Labour do sort things out in the next six months I can see a national election happening at the bequest of no confidence.

Why would any Tories vote for a no confidence motion? The leader would be elected by the members and any MP who voted against him or her would, in effect, be saying that the Tory members have picked the wrong leader - that won't go down well with the electorate.

Also, it's not just a question of a no confidence vote, there has to be an attempt by someone else to form a government. Again, I'm not sure that such messing about would go down well with the electorate

 

[ManOfSussex]

The politicians are turning on themselves in a way I've not seen since the early 90s. Westminster has become its own country.

I've followed politics in this country since the days of Thatcher when I was a child growing up in the 80's. This is unprecedented in my lifetime. I think it's unprecedented in history. They're playing with the future of The United Kingdom as a country in all of this, it's not just about the keys to No.10 as it normally is.

 

[Eeyore]

Why would any Tories vote for a no confidence motion? The leader would be elected by the members and any MP who voted against him or her would, in effect, be saying that the Tory members have picked the wrong leader - that won't go down well with the electorate.

Also, it's not just a question of a no confidence vote, there has to be an attempt by someone else to form a government. Again, I'm not sure that such messing about would go down well with the electorate

Yes, I keep forgetting their majority. Although I would suggest that the electorate seems a rather peripheral consideration at the moment.

 

[pastafarian]

Theresa May, being from the 'remain' camp, will need to convince a lot of backbenchers she is up for the job.

May saying

"First Brexit means Brexit,the campaign was fought,the vote was held,turnout was high and the public gave their verdict. There must be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to rejoin it through the backdoor, and no second referendum.
The country voted to leave the European Union and it is the duty of the government and parliament to make sure we do just that.
Second there should be no general election until 2020"

seems to be popular amongst the backbenchers