Prime Minister should be directly elected, say MPs
A COMMITTEE of MPs is calling for an overhaul at the top of British politics, suggesting the Prime Minister should be directly elected to improve transparency and accountability.
A report out today from the political and constitutional reform committee suggests the Prime Minister is too powerful and not enough is known about his control and influence on UK politics. The MPs claim the direct election of the leader could resolve concerns about over-centralisation of power in Westminster.
“The Prime Minister is the chief of the executive in the UK. As well as not being directly elected by the public, most of the powers exercised by the Prime Minister aren’t defined in statute and can’t be found in one place. Without any clear definition, the PM’s role and powers have been able to grow and add to the massive over-centralisation in Britain,” said Graham Allen MP, chair of the committee.
The report calls for a clear definition of what the top office can and cannot do and comes as David Cameron is accused of having too little influence over the potential appointment of a top EU official, Jean-Claude Juncker.