Re: BBC Pronunciation and the U.S. Elections

On Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:14:29 -0800, Evan Kirshenbaum
<kirshenbaum@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

John Kane <jrkrideau@xxxxxxxxx> writes:

On Jan 16, 3:53 pm, Evan Kirshenbaum <kirshenb...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

And if nobody gets a majority, how is the PM chosen? I had thought
that elected MPs (or, at least, those MPs who lead their respective
parties) caucused and chose one, but you seem to have dismissed that
characterization.

The Govenor General asks someone [1] to form a government. (HM would
to this in the UK.).

Normally she would ask the leader of the largest minority party but
there is no obligation to do so and depending on the stances of the
various parties she might well not do so.

If the person asked thinks they can do it, he or she forms a
goverment

That's what I was asking. How is that done without convincing any of
the MPs to express a preference?

I guess I was missing the "asked" part, though.

In the UK the Queen asks a simple question, with no trumpets or
ceremony, "Can you form a government?". The reply she no doubt
hopes for is "Yes", with things proceeding smoothly from then
on.

I had sort of assumed
that if the seats were A: 40%, B: 35%, C: 25% and B and C were more
closely aligned, then a B/C government would be expected to be formed,
with B's leader being PM. And that if it was A: 47%, B: 46%, C: 7%,
then both A and B would be trying to woo C, and the one that did so
would get to form the government.

As far as I am aware the leader of the party with the most seats
would be asked first. If she or he was unable to form a
government then the party with the next greatest number of MPs
would be asked.

There was an occasion in the UK parliament when the party in
government did not have a reliable absolute majority in the
house of commons. Approaches were made to the third largest
party (the Liberals). They declined to enter into a coalition
but pledged not to vote against the government on bills, etc.,
which were implementing the government party's Manifesto
commitments.


A UK party Manifesto is a combination of broad statements of
attitude, detailed plans, and guff^Wmaterial intermediate
between the two.
During a general election campaign all candidates are expected
to embrace and support the manifesto of their party.

There is an independent archive of UK Labour Party manifestos
at:
http://www.labour-party.org.uk/manifestos/

The Republic of Ireland has a system of government codified in
its Constitution that can be described as a republicanised
version of the British system of government as it was at the
time that the Republic was formed.[1]

In the RoI the Prime Minister is formally appointed by the
President, but she or he appoints the person nominated by the
lower house of parliament. The nomination is voted on. Much
behind-the-scenes horsetrading goes on if it is necessary to
form a coalition. From time-to-time the RoI has been governed by
a coalition of two smaller parties, one of which is to the right
of the largest party and the other to the left. They have
managed to work together.

[1] Similarly the system of goverment of the US, particularly at
federal level, has the appearance of a republicanized version of
the British system as it was at the time of the formation of the
US.

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)
.

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