YesBut who’s in charge?

No there hasn’t been a problem in downloading the photo on the left. It is a framed photo of the person who is governing Great Britain.

Tony Blair, who still collects a salary for being Prime Minister, has stopped taking an active part in government - he is far too busy touring the world trying to burnish his image. If he tried sand-blasting it, it would still remain tarnished. As much as he wants to convey the impression that he is leaving a dynamic legacy, in reality the “Blair legacy” is Iraq.

Ah you might think, Gordon Brown has unofficially taken control - nope. The last couple of weeks, being rudderless the Government Ministers have dropped a couple of clangers. Gordon doesn’t want to be associated with these, so he is maintaining a very very low profile, so low nobody knows where he is - even Gordon himself isn‘t too sure.

What a state of affairs. We will remain leaderless for another month, and then we will get a Prime Minister who will be there by default. How is it possible, in a so called democracy, can we be lumbered with a Prime Minister who has not been voted into office by: parliament, his own party or the general public.

It would never have happened in the USA! If the President has to stand down during his (sorry Hilary - and perhaps her) term of office the Vice President takes over. At least at the election the President and Vice President stood as a team and the electorate know who would take over if anything happen to the President.

I was incorrect in stating it wouldn’t happen in the US. It has once - any idea when?

In 1973 the Vice President Spiro Agnew was forced to resign when he was accused of tax evasion and bribery. Richard Milhous Nixon the 37th President appointed Gerald Ford, the Republican Minority leader in the House of Representatives, as his Vice President. An interesting choice - poor old Gerald had difficulty in walking and whistling at the same time. Did Nixon think: “if it comes down to impeaching me and having Ford as President, or letting me serve out my term, they’ll choose the later?”.

On August 9th 1974, Nixon became the first President to resign. Gerald Ford became the 38th President and he chose Nelson Rockefeller to be his Vice President - the first and only time the president and vice-president held office to which neither were elected.

If we get through the next month without an active Prime Minister - it proves we don’t need one, and Brown should be told to stay in his little bolthole!

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