For example, they have the power to send the UK's armed forces into action. However, recent convention says Parliament should also approve such a decision. A number of special responsibilities also rest on the prime minister's shoulders, such as deciding whether to shoot down a hijacked or unidentified aircraft. Despite these powers, a prime minister can't just take any decision they like. Prime ministers need to retain the confidence of most MPs. That's because laws can only be passed if a majority of MPs vote them through.
If a government repeatedly loses votes, MPs could choose to call a "motion of no confidence". If a prime minister loses such a vote, they face the prospect of a general election. If the prime minister's party loses a general election, they must resign so the leader of the winning party can take over. In theory, the Queen has the power to sack a prime minister if it was felt they were acting against the country's interest. That, however, would trigger a constitutional crisis.
Boris Johnson needed the backing of both Conservative MPs and ordinary party members. To start with, 10 Tory MPs were nominated as possible prime ministers. Both Mr Johnson and Mr Hunt took part in a series of debates, before paid-up members of the Tory Party voted for who they wanted. That meant about , people were able to choose the leader of a country of more than 65 million people.
Boris Johnson received 92, votes compared to Jeremy Hunt's 46, Most Conservative party members are over 55 and a large majority are from the top social class. A new prime minister doesn't necessarily mean a general election is inevitable. As the Conservatives are already in power, they won't have to hold one - so long as Boris Johnson can command the support of the majority of MPs.
If he did decide to call an election, the prime minister would need at least two-thirds of MPs to agree to it. OpenLearn works with other organisations by providing free courses and resources that support our mission of opening up educational opportunities to more people in more places. All rights reserved.
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Featured content. Free courses. All content. Video 5 mins. How do you become British Prime Minister? Updated Thursday, 1st June Transcript Britain, like France, is a unitary state, but is a parliamentary democracy, not a semi-presidential system. This is because: May is the MP for Maidenhead in Berkshire; She became the Conservative party leader in July ; and She inherited the Commons majority held by her predecessor, Cameron Britain has fixed term parliaments, in which an election is to be held in May every five years, but less than a year into her premiership, rather than try to retain her majority in the present parliament, May asked the Commons to agree to a new election, which it did by the required two-thirds majority.
Take the quiz about how other countries vote Transcript. How do you become French President? Watch now How do you become French President?
Video Level: 1 Introductory. Copyright free: Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Samuel Guerra. How do you become US President? Watch now How do you become US President? How did Emmanuel Macron win the French Presidency? Article Level: 1 Introductory. So what happens now? For today, May is Prime Minister-in-waiting.
May will then head to the Palace herself, where the Queen will invite her to form a government. Voila—a new Prime Minister, one of 13 who have come to power without facing a general election. Erin Blakemore is a Boulder, Colorado-based journalist. Learn more at erinblakemore.
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