Saturday 11 April 2020

Should the acting prime minister role be more formal?

First Secretary of State is a rather nebulous and ill-defined position. I first remember it being used by Harold Wilson in 1964 to salve George Brown's ego.

One suspects it was given to Dominic Raab in a rather casual fashion. Although no one could anticipate current circumstances, does the role of acting prime minister be formalising if it is to be effective? The Institute for Government considers this issue: Acting Prime Minister

Robert Hazell argues that our constitutional arrangements allow for more flexibility than is the case in the United States: What happens when the prime minister is incapacitated

No comments: