Prerogative Writ

My published and unpublished article for The Conservative Woman may be read here. Comments on it have closed since last night. None of the usual arguments against the monarchy stacks up in the least. Is Ireland, France, Germany or the United States classless? None of the usual arguments for the monarchy stacks up either, but I have known far too many politicians to want one as Head of State. In spite of everything, God Save The Queen.

Nor should we be seeking to abolish the Royal Prerogative. Rather, we should be seeking to exercise it in the cause of economic equality and international peace. Heaven help us, we have a Prime Minister who understands how it works.

If you can get your hands on the office of Prime Minister, which almost never has anything to do with winning a General Election even if you may happen to do so later on, then the monarch can do nothing except on your advice, including summoning Parliament, but does have to do everything you say, including proroguing Parliament.

Being Prime Minister is not conditional on commanding a majority in the House of Commons unless you wanted to legislate through it, and Orders in Council are primary legislation unless superseded by Acts of a Parliament that cannot sit unless you say so. The monarch cannot even appoint a new Prime Minister except on the advice of the outgoing one. If you just never resigned, then that would be that.

In Boris Johnson, we have a Prime Minister who would take full advantage of all this if he felt that he had to. Like Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher and Harold Wilson before him, he is surrounded by people whom no one would ever have elected. The thing is that while that is the game, then two can play it.