# Rishi Sunak tries to lead the UK **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 24, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706 "2022-10-24T13:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 27
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/522 "2023-11-13T15:46:29Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > > [@PatrickLondon](#): > > > > And Camerob has to go into the Lords to do it. > > I didn’t even know that kind of simultaneously-elevate-and-appoint move was possible. In the classic Westminster system (UK, Canada), you don’t have to have a seat in Parliament to be appointed to Cabinet. Strong constitutional convention says that you have to get a seat quickly, in one of the two houses, either by election or by appointment. Canada has had two PMs in the Senate, and the occasional Cabinet minister. We also had one Defence Minister who never sat in either house; got appointed to Cabinet, stood for election; defeated. Stood for election again; defeated. Resigned. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/523 "2023-11-13T15:52:45Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > (she has one of the safest seats) As safe as Mid Bed and Tamworth? ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/524 "2023-11-13T15:58:14Z")
More seriously, as a Ministerial appointee, Cameron is dodgy as fuck. There was the whole Panama Papers thing; his involvement with Greensill encompasses both giving his chum Lex Greensill official access to government departments and nakedly lobbying for them once he’d left office (until they went spectacularly insolvent, that is). Then there’s the fact that he’s currently a paid lobbyist for China which is a slightly awkward position for a Foreign Secretary to be in. Especially given Sunak has repudiated Cameron-era pro-China policy in favour of a more skeptical/adversarial approach that favours national security over trade. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/525 "2023-11-13T16:02:32Z")
I don’t think this has been posted yet. Fine Guardian headline: > **[When the solution to your problem is David Cameron, you know you’re in deep...](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/13/david-cameron-cabinet-suella-braverman-rishi-sunak)** > > The former PM is back in the cabinet after Suella Braverman’s sacking. It goes to show how few options Rishi Sunak has left, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins Better yet, the last word is missing. Sweet. j ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/526 "2023-11-13T16:09:08Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Strong constitutional convention says that you have to get a seat quickly, in one of the two houses, either by election or by appointment. AAAND our democracy is finally dead. Why bother with having elected officials when you can just stack your cabinet with unelected randoms? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/527 "2023-11-13T16:22:53Z")
And the hysterical laughter that follows! I’m telling you guys, you need to elect [Larry](https://www.politico.eu/article/westminster-political-cats-britain-prime-minister-pets/) as PM. He could scarcely do worse. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/528 "2023-11-13T16:27:16Z")
What about Lord Buckethead? He’s even a Lord! How can you argue that? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/529 "2023-11-13T16:29:15Z")
Meh… no big diff when the elected officials don’t have any better idea of what they’re doing… At least presidentialist-system republics have the out that you can pretend to appoint an expert on the specific subject out of academia or industry rather than “have” to pick a willing member of the party majority. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/530 "2023-11-13T18:50:42Z")
I was fascinated by seeing the door at No. 10 open and close with no visible door-handler. I haven’t paid much attention to this before. Is this the way it’s always done? ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/531 "2023-11-13T20:07:51Z")
See fact #4 > **[BBC Radio 4 - Gardeners' Question Time - 10 Surprising facts about Number 10...](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3LrMh99XJ1Xsh7GtrvH1s8H/10-surprising-facts-about-number-10-downing-street)** > > Facts about the history and the building behind the world's most famous front door. (God knows what this has to do with Gardeners’ Question Time - I was just looking for a cite for something I thought I knew - the door only opens from the inside.) j ETA wiki as a second cite: [10 Downing Street - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Downing_Street#Rooms_and_special_features) ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/532 "2023-11-13T20:21:20Z")
Interesting. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/533 "2023-11-14T01:20:55Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > the door only opens from the inside Right. if Larry wants in, a person outside has to knock on the door to get it opened for him. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/534 "2023-11-14T01:49:58Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > AAAND our democracy is finally dead. Why bother with having elected officials when you can just stack your cabinet with unelected randoms? What do you mean, “finally”? It has always been the case in the UK that you can appoint unelected lords to ministerial and even cabinet positions, and that you can appoint someone to the House of Lords so that you can then or later make them a Minister. This isn’t that unusual. Even without googling it I can recall Lord Young, appointed to the House of Lords by Margaret Thatcher so she could put him in Cabinet. He ended up as Secretary of State for Trade, IIRC, but never held elected office of any kind. And more recently David Frost was appointed to the House of Lords and then to the Cabinet in fairly short order. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/535 "2023-11-14T01:59:26Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > AAAND our democracy is finally dead. Why bother with having elected officials when you can just stack your cabinet with unelected randoms? > [@UDS1](#): > > What do you mean, “finally”? It has always been the case in the UK that you can appoint unelected lords to ministerial and even cabinet positions, Whatever you do, _ **don’t tell him about the king.** _ ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/536 "2023-11-14T12:28:43Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Whatever you do, _ **don’t tell him about the king.** _ \*Her. And I don’t need non Brits preaching to me about our political system. The Lords has been a shitshow since forever. But this latest move is just an additional pile on to the Conservatives desperate grip on power. The electorate haven’t had chance to vote on who they’d like as PM since Johnson. Their mandate is non existent. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/537 "2023-11-14T14:17:37Z")
Sorry for the misgendering. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/538 "2023-11-14T18:39:08Z")
Back to Sunak and Braverman… and the inevitable > **[Suella Braverman accuses Rishi Sunak of betrayal in scathing letter](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67420331)** > > The former home secretary criticises Rishi Sunak's leadership ahead of a ruling on the government's Rwanda plan. There’s way to much to quote in a representative way. But I enjoyed this. > Mrs Braverman said Mr Sunak had failed “to rise to the challenge posed by the increasingly vicious antisemitism and extremism displayed on our streets”. > > “I have become hoarse urging you to consider legislation to ban the hate marches and help stem the rising tide of racism, intimidation and terrorist glorification threatening community cohesion,” she added, accusing the PM of putting off “tough decisions in order to minimise political risk to yourself”. Racism and intimidation, huh? I’m saying nuthin’. j ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/539 "2023-11-14T19:05:29Z")
It’s not racism when _we_ do it because We are the good Us and They are the bad Them. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/540 "2023-11-15T10:28:32Z")
As I’m sure has been suggested, she’s been trying to get sacked for awhile just to pull this exact stunt and use it to push her own importance. Next up: the Brave Boys. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706/541 "2023-11-15T11:06:09Z")
Interesting that she says there was a signed document. I’d expect that to emerge at some point. And the blue touchpaper has been lit: > **[Supreme Court rules Rwanda asylum policy unlawful](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67423745)** > > The UK's highest court says the plan leaves people at risk of being sent back to unsafe countries. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706.md?page=26) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rishi-sunak-tries-to-lead-the-uk/973706.md?page=28)