This is how it works in Canada to the best of my understanding, and since Canada runs on the Westminster parliamentary system like the UK, I assume it’s the same there. If I got anything wrong I’d welcome any correction.
Under the principle of the confidence convention, the power to introduce a confidence motion most often falls naturally to the ruling government as the entity that normally introduces bills. Technically this is the Cabinet, but in a practical sense it really is typically the PM’s call. All MPs of all parties of course get to vote on confidence motions. Under certain specified conditions, opposition parties can also introduce confidence motions to challenge the government, typically by banding together. Those conditions include spending bills and motions replying to the government’s Throne Speech, the speech that sets out proposed government policy at the opening of parliament.
There are three ways a motion can be a confidence motion. One is to explicitly introduce a confidence motion for a vote. A second is to append a declaration of confidence to any ordinary bill. The third is that certain types of bills are automatically considered confidence votes, namely certain types of financial bills and in particular, bills on the government’s budgetary policy.
The Conservatives have 70 more seats than all the other parties combined. It would take a very substantial revolt within the party to beat the government in a no confidence vote. The chances of the government getting re-elected after that would be slim and many seats would be lost. So voting against your own party in a no confidence vote would be like turkeys voting for Christmas. They would be voting themselves out of a job.
The situation would be quite different if the majority was much slimmer.
We are stuck with this Conservative led government unless a new PM decided to hold a General Election. This, again, is unlikely. They will use the two years to try repair some of the economic damage and salvage their reputation, which right now is at a low point.
We are in this situation because if the recent reform to the way Parlimentary terms are held. It was well meant, intended to create stability. But it seems it has had the unintended consequence of preserving lame-duck Governments such as this.
Right, it’s generally understood that motions of non-confidence are only meaningful (i.e.- have any likelihood of success) in a minority-government situation. And even then, one or more opposition parties may not be anxious to be blamed for precipitating an election.
As for the future of the Tories, Bill Maher on his last show suggested a possible parallel with the Canadian federal election of 1993. The Tories went from a comfortable majority (156 seats out of 295) to being virtually wiped out, retaining only two seats and ceasing to even be an official party. It was an extraordinary rejection of the Conservative Party.
The situation was completely different than the one in the UK, of course, but there was a commonality in that it largely had to do with leadership. Kim Campbell had the misfortune to be the Tory leader at the time, but she had a very short-lived tenure, and the real hatred was directed at her immediate predecessor Brian Mulroney, who had become perhaps the most hated man in Canada at that time.
All examples that I know of die-hard anachronists, they were in it for the roleplay and the kink. I don’t know mister Mogg but I’d be unsurprised to find various peculiar implements in his bedroom closet.
Anyone else know of any examples to the contrary, outside of Amish folk?
Very typical of a Right Wing Populist. Make promises to the hoi polloi , then don’t keep them. Pick an enemy- “all those foreigners!” and make them to target of ire, not the Politicos that make the false promises.
I still stand by my crazy conspiracy that Liz was brought in to fail so that Boris can come back.
Well, in 2016 the US couldn’t come up with anything better than a moron who thought he looked good wearing the pelt of a deceased orange marmoset on his head.
I think we can stipulate that Donald Trump is worse than anything the U.K. Conservative Party has come up with so far. None of them has yet attempted a violent overthrow of the British government.
Out of curiosity what would the process be if Truss either dropped dead or resigned with immediate effect? Who would take over as acting Prime Minister while the Tories were choosing a new leader?
I watched that video about Jacob Rees-Mogg. Weirdly, he’s younger than me by a few years, but seems like someone from my father’s generation. And how long before he’s prime minister? I assume he’ll bring his nanny to 10 Downing Street with him.
