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.