Should political party leaders be elected by the public?

[Fame Monster]

Currently, they're elected by their own parties - a small, peripheral group with ideas completely out of touch with the general public hence why we're getting leaders who are equally extreme and out of touch with most people.

Would it be a good idea for these groups to instead create a shortlist of candidates with the general public ultimately choosing the winner maybe at the same time they vote in a local election for example?

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

No.

 

[blueinsa]

Im not sure the OP has thought this through?

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

No. Parties should pick them in the knowledge that if they make a stupid choice it will bite them on the arse in the next GE.

 

[Fame Monster]

Im not sure the OP has thought this through?

Thought it might be an interesting idea, care to elaborate why not?

 

[blueinsa]

Thought it might be an interesting idea, care to elaborate why not?

Do you not think it open to some voting from those with no interest whatsoever other than to try and fuck a party over?

Leadership of a political party is for that party to decide as per their rules and no one else mate.

If the public want a say then they should join.

 

[Ardwick Green Blue]

Thought it might be an interesting idea, care to elaborate why not?

Because supporters of other parties would vote for the most useless tosser in the race.

 

[scousemanc]

No

 

[yeseye]

Because supporters of other parties would vote for the most useless tosser in the race.

Your vote would have to be a member of the party you vote for.

 

[Fame Monster]

Do you not think it open to some voting from those with no interest whatsoever other than to try and fuck a party over?

Leadership of a political party is for that party to decide as per their rules and no one else mate.

If the public want a say then they should join.

The shortlist chosen by the party would guard against picking someone completely unelectable but even if you got other party supporters deliberately picking the worst candidate, they'd surely lose out to the majority of voters who'd want a party moulded and led by a person they see fit to run the country? If everyone got the chance to vote, surely national interest would usurp party political interest for the majority of voters (most of whom aren't party political)?

Also, not everyone can afford to join a political party or care to join one, but if they did, membership of one party excludes you from membership of another so you'd only be able to elect one party leader, and if you're a normal member of the public, you'd probably lose out to the rabid, party-over-country types who seem to increasingly pick the most left/right wing candidates possible.

Could be an idea to make UK politics a bit less fractious.

 

[Ardwick Green Blue]

Your vote would have to be a member of the party you vote for.

That's not what the OP suggested...

Otherwise it would be the same as it is now :)

 

[mccity]

Most elections are very complex, and yet the vast majority of people will vote based on simple matters like single policies, what team they're on, which party leader is less incompetent looking etc.

Making elections even more complex certainly wouldn't help.

I like the idea in principle though, but it's so impractical.

 

[hgblue]

Do you not think it open to some voting from those with no interest whatsoever other than to try and fuck a party over?

Leadership of a political party is for that party to decide as per their rules and no one else mate.

If the public want a say then they should join.

The Labour membership seem to be doing a fine job of fucking themselves over without any help from the likes of me. Let’s just leave them to it ;)

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

The whole thing needs looking at, but fuck all will meaningfully change for some time. Too much self-interest.

I do live in hope that our political and voting system will eventually be subject to significant overhaul within the next generation, but that’s probably rooted far more in hope than reality, and ain’t coming anytime soon, irrespective.

 

[mcfc1632]

Im not sure the OP has thought this through?

I suspect that this another thread that is intended to provide Hard-Left Remainers with something to think about/discuss and distract from discussing the one topic that perhaps is most pertinent:

"How will Hard-Left Remain supporters bring themselves to ever be able to recognise and accept that they got it hopelessly wrong - and that is the simple reason for the election result."

 

[mcfc1632]

I do live in hope that our political and voting system will eventually be subject to significant overhaul within the next generation, but that’s probably rooted far more in hope than reality, and ain’t coming anytime soon, irrespective.

So very badly needed - but will it happen?

Not in our lifetimes I am afraid

 

[Scottyboi]

If they did this then people would keep putting jezza as the Labour leader just to fuck them over lol.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Not in our lifetimes I am afraid

My liver agrees with this.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Currently, they're elected by their own parties - a small, peripheral group with ideas completely out of touch with the general public hence why we're getting leaders who are equally extreme and out of touch with most people.

Would it be a good idea for these groups to instead create a shortlist of candidates with the general public ultimately choosing the winner maybe at the same time they vote in a local election for example?

Only if the managers of football teams can be "elected" by fans .......so thats a no from me

 

[Ban-jani]

Because supporters of other parties would vote for the most useless tosser in the race.

The General Election is over, can we stop talking about Labour for one bleeding second.