The Game Is Up For Gordon Brown

The United Kingdom does not have a presidential system and our Prime Ministers are not directly elected by the popular vote of the whole electorate. Indeed in theory they are “First among equals” and the governance of the nation is the collective responsibility of a cabinet of ministers. But in reality, for many years now, the Prime Minister has been the de facto Head of State on a par with the presidents of republics like the United States and France. And at General Elections the battle between the main parties is generally characterised as being a contest between alternative Prime Ministerial candidates. It is important to remember these realties because it is at least arguable that Gordon Brown’s cabinet is one of the more able and experienced of modern times - and yet his Government is in unstoppable freefall. The loss of... [read full story]