Graham Allen
Party decides leader, people should decide their Prime Minister
Let the British People Choose Their Prime Minister , says Graham Allen MP.
Graham Allen, Labour MP for Nottingham North, and a leading campaigner for democratic reform, has called for the British people to choose their Prime Minister directly.
He said: “The Labour party is about to choose a new Leader. Whether or not the post is contested, it means that the British people will acquire a new Prime Minister whom they never had a chance to pick themselves.
“Of course the Labour Party, like any other, is entitled to elect its own leader in any way it likes. But it cannot be right to shut the British people out of the process which then selects the most powerful office in their political system.
"I am not arguing for an immediate general election once the leader of the Labour party is decided. Instead, I believe that the Prime Minister should be elected directly by the people, from the party leaders on offer to them, independently of the election of MPs.
“I rehearsed this argument in my book 'The Last Prime Minister: Being Honest About the UK Presidency” a few years ago. I believe it is more potent and more urgent than ever. Gordon Brown - or whoever - could be the first Party Leader to do this and the first Prime Minister to be directly elected by the British people- the last great unfinished democratic reform in the UK.
“Our present system has major weaknesses. It robs our Prime Minister of legitimacy to make him or her a creature of a party rather than the majority choice of the British people. It also turns Parliament into an electoral college and supporters club rather than an independent institution which can fearlessly hold Government to account. Moreover, it encourages other institutions to get between the electorate and the internal processes of a political party. This is especially true of the media, who second-guess what they feel is acceptable to the electorate and then seek to influence the party process. (They also, in their own commercial interest, try to turn that process into a branch of the entertainment industry).
“Parties should answer to the British people for their choice of leader – not to the media. If they choose a candidate who suits themselves but is unacceptable to the British people they should pay the penalty in an election – not through the media.. At the moment our system has created the worst of all worlds; an illegitimate Prime Minister, an executive without direct backing from the people and media who try to grab power without accountability."
Graham is available for further comment on 07802-210-179 or 0207-219-5065
