Private Eye errata
Private Eye is a great magazine but they are famed for getting facts wrong.
The latest issue has x years since monarch succession law Brown wants to change, 14 years, time Brown waited before becoming prime minister unelected
.
Now whilst strictly true, it is certainly misleading. Gordon Brown was not elected as Prime Minister, the implication is that this is unusual. But neither was any other Prime Minister. Ever.
The most recent example of a situation identical to Brown is John Major. After Thatcher was ousted, he was made Prime Minister on 28 November 1990 and did not call a general election until 9 April 1992.
Unsurprisingly the Tory rags ranting about Brown being unelected did not make the same argument back then!
After a General election the monarch asks the leader of the party with the most MPs to form their
government.
Should the accept, as they generally do, they go on to form a government and a cabinet.
It is therefore possible that Labour can have the most MPs elected. Their leader, who is not an MP becomes Prime Minister and then forms his Cabinet out of a load of Lords and Bishops on the Privy Council – none of whom were elected either.
So, the premise is made: this Prime Minister is not elected so that is not democratic.
The other one: no Prime Minister is elected so that is not democratic, is not made.
The conclusion: we don’t live in a democracy, but an oligarchy, is not drawn either.