Scottish MP as Westminster Prime Minister

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Maybe has been done to death but I missed it.

In the parallel universe that saw Jo Swinson as the Leader of a LibDem Party that won a majority of seats in the General Election. Could she have become a 'working' Prime Minister?

Given we have EVEL for English-only Legislation how could we have a Westminster Prime Minister without a Commons Vote - or perhaps even a Commons Voice - on many very important English-only matters.

 

[Slab]

Is there not enough problems in the actual reality that need solving without adding in those from the multiverse

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Indeed there are - but where we are today does this not point to the fact that an MP for a Scottish Westminster seat is highly unlikely to ever again be PM or hold a Cabinet position other than Scottish Secretary - and that is not great optics for a 'union of equals'

 

[ger147]

In your hypothetical scenario, if she is PM with a majority, simply abolish EVEL, job done.

 

[Slab]

Indeed there are - but where we are today does this not point to the fact that an MP for a Scottish Westminster seat is highly unlikely to ever again be PM or hold a Cabinet position other than Scottish Secretary - and that is not great optics for a 'union of equals'

And in which parallel universe do you thinks that was/is likely to happen! (there's only so much fantasy realms we can possibly imagine)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

And in which parallel universe do you thinks that was/is likely to happen! (there's only so much fantasy realms we can possibly imagine)

That in which Labour have a majority and some MPs in Scotland...OK might be a while but you never know what disasters might befall the Tories.

And if that happens and Labour get rid of EVEL so that Ian Murray can be PM (he by definition being the longest serving Labour MP in Scotland ) - I am wondering how that would go down with Labour's English voters

 

[Lord Tyrion]

This is more scraping of the barrel. No one is stopping a Scottish MP from becoming PM, no one ever raised it as an issue during the election.

You are looking for a problem that does not exist, sadly to try to provoke antagonism. A great shame.

 

[patricks148]

as fantasy goes SILH, her keeping her seat was far fetched enough let alone PM

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

This is more scraping of the barrel. No one is stopping a Scottish MP from becoming PM, no one ever raised it as an issue during the election.

You are looking for a problem that does not exist, sadly to try to provoke antagonism. A great shame.

No sadly it does exist - I am bringing it up now as I reflected on Swinson and realised that - as you say - it wasn't brought up during the election.

From The Scotsman newspaper 15th October 2015 - Scots MPs ‘could not be PM again’ under Evel

https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/scots-mps-could-not-be-pm-again-under-evel-1-3916236

 

[Doon frae Troon]

It was pretty obvious that after EVEL no non English MP could ever be PM or hold one of the four major ministerial posts.

 

[SocketRocket]

Maybe has been done to death but I missed it.

In the parallel universe that saw Jo Swinson as the Leader of a LibDem Party that won a majority of seats in the General Election. Could she have become a 'working' Prime Minister?

Given we have EVEL for English-only Legislation how could we have a Westminster Prime Minister without a Commons Vote - or perhaps even a Commons Voice - on many very important English-only matters.

I'm struggling to follow the logic.If an Mp for a Scottish seat was the pm in Westminster then they could debate/Preside over EVEL but not vote on them. Why is that a problem.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'm struggling to follow the logic.If an Mp for a Scottish seat was the pm in Westminster then they could debate/Preside over EVEL but not vote on them. Why is that a problem.

Most of the time it won't make a difference in respect of numbers - but surely there is an issue of perception. A Scottish Prime Minister responsible for, and talking in support of, a policy that does not affect their own constituents - a policy that might be contentious...as a resident of Surreyshire the optics of that don't work for me - especially in the wider context of a noisy Scottish Parliament in Holyrood and Westminster taking back control.

 

[SocketRocket]

Most of the time it won't make a difference in respect of numbers - but surely there is an issue of perception. A Scottish Prime Minister responsible for, and talking in support of, a policy that does not affect their own constituents - a policy that might be contentious...as a resident of Surreyshire the optics of that don't work for me - especially in the wider context of a noisy Scottish Parliament in Holyrood and Westminster taking back control.

Surely then he/she can farm that one out to a deputy and stay neutral.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Surely then he/she can farm that one out to a deputy and stay neutral.

I'm actually taking an English view - looking at a Scottish Prime Minister bringing in contentious legislation that does not affect his own constituents.
Anyway - it's not going to happen.

 

[Dando]

I'm actually taking an English view - looking at a Scottish Prime Minister bringing in contentious legislation that does not affect his own constituents.
Anyway - it's not going to happen.

thank god for that*

* other make believe characters are available

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Wasn’t Gordon Brown PM whilst being a scottish MP ? Or do I have that wrong

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Wasn’t Gordon Brown PM whilst being a scottish MP ? Or do I have that wrong

Phil is correct, does this mean that this parallel universe now disappears in a puff of logic?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Wasn’t Gordon Brown PM whilst being a scottish MP ? Or do I have that wrong

You are not wrong, But Brown was PM before Cameron introduced EVEL,