The Next Prime Minister?

 The Next Prime Minister 

by Mike Baker

I have my ballot paper and a letter saying “…final two candidates, both would make excellent prime ministers, and your ballot paper to choose is enclosed.” 

So, I as one of 160,000 British Conservative Party members, plus an unknown number of overseas Conservative Party members of any nationality, get to choose the next prime minister of one of the most powerful countries in the world. Wow. 

Great Britain is a parliamentary democracy, not a presidential one. Our elected members of parliament are representatives not delegates. It is their responsibility to provide a Prime Minister, the whole British nation elects members of parliament for every constituency in the country. 

In my judgement on a matter of principal, I think it should be the MPs in parliament who should decide who should be the Prime Minister. In the circumstances as I have confidence in my MP I would support their choice for Prime Minister. 

Mike Baker

Conservative Party Member

Bromley and Chislehurst Conservative

Association.

Mike, this was the original position of COPOV when it was set up in 1994.   At that time we wanted the Party Chairman to be elected by the members.    When that was not offered in the new Constitution of 1998 we then campaigned for the members to elect the Leader.   I would happily go back to a position where the MPs elected the Leader on a preferential basis, if the Party members could elect the Party Chairman at an Annual General Meeting of the Party to which all members were invited.   John Strafford.