Apart from my family and friends, the two
most important interests that occupy me are sport and politics. Both provide
the stuff of life, the OMG moments that help make time on the planet
worthwhile. For example, as most of you know, I have been a fanatical supporter
of Tottenham Hotspurs, virtually from birth. This season, they had a remote
opportunity of winning "The Double", namely both the Premier League
and the FA Cup. It can't happen now but there’s always next season? And if it
did, OMG? I’ll be in Holy Moly country.
As for politics, I am waiting to read a tweet
from President Frump along the lines of: "That effing May has called a
British General Election. FAKE POLITICS. She wants to lose so she doesn't have
to entertain me on my state visit to England. Never mind, Queen Betty will be
fine with me. I'll be back on the Brit newspapers front pages before you can
say nuke."
For the third time in as many years, we
Brits are going to the polls. In the good old days, it was once or twice in
five years. It’s so wearying. In case my American readers are confused about
what has happened in the little old kingdom of Westminster, here's the
explanation. Back in 2010, the Conservative Party, led by David Cameron, won
the General Election but did not have enough seats for an overall parliamentary
majority. So, Cameron and Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, did
a deal, forming a coalition government, something which does not and, indeed,
cannot occur under the American governmental system.
It was a term of the deal that the 2010 Coalition
government would run its full five year term. Hitherto, the British Prime
Minister had the sole right to call a General Election at any time during parliament’s
five year term, so long as six weeks’ prior notice is given. Mr Clegg wanted to
avoid a situation where a popular Cameron government could call for an early election
and kick the Liberal Democrats out of power and back into the long grass. So
the Coalition passed The Fixed Term Parliaments Act, requiring our government
to serve its full five year term unless either the government lost a vote of
confidence in the House of Commons, or Parliament passed a motion to dissolve,
which passed with a two thirds majority. And this is exactly what happened last
week. Within 24 hours of announcing the new election, Mrs May had won her
motion to avoid the Fixed Term Act.
Could this happen in America? No. Imagine
The Frump being rebuffed by the Republican majority in Congress and the Courts
again and again over a period of months and years. He does not have the power to
go to the American people before 2020 to ask whether they want to see his
administration repeatedly being denied. His choices are limited: he can hope
for better things after a mid-term election in 2018, run again in 2020 in the
hope that he will get a very clear mandate for his policies, or he can resign
the office. It follows that in certain respects, the so-called ‘most powerful
man in the world’ has less power than our Prime Minister. Indeed, if Mrs May
wins the June election, I expect the new Conservative government will repeal
The Fixed Parliament Act and go back to the old system where a Prime Minister
has the prerogative to call a general election whenever he or she chooses. I
can see the President going both green and crimson, which would make an
unfortunate clash with his orange hair and gold curtains!
I suspect my American friends will look
upon our process of an election campaign with envy. Not only are there
statutory limits on election expenditures but the time between the declaration
of the election and voting day is often a mere 42 days. Compare this with
American election expenditures which runs in the billions, while the campaign lasts
for two years or more.
Don't be too envious. I'm anticipating the
foulest, dirtiest UK election ever where prejudice will trump policy, forgive
the “t” word. I wonder when our political leaders will adopt the Trump
campaigning methods of talking over an opponent, vilifying and lying about his
or her record and bringing out the worst in people. Already, Jeremy Corbyn, the
Labour leader, has talked about “a rigged system.” Even worse, the debate is “hard
Brexit and soft Brexit.” Why can’t our leaders understand that what is needed
is smart Brexit.
Politics is a serious business, fortunately
often tinged with humor, but it is not a relentless war where victory at any
cost is worthwhile. Policy, not personality, should be supreme. Sadly, this is
no longer the case. Perception is far more important than reality these days
when it comes to politics.
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