Monday 18 February 2013

If I may pontificate...........

I really have no opinion on whether the resignation of Pope Benedict is a good or a bad thing. Time will tell as to its true impact.  However I do find the Papal Conclave election process intriguing and can't help wondering if there's something there that we could be adopting in the UK.  I haven't really thought this through yet but I think something along the following lines might work.
 
1.  Each constituency would elect a local candidate pretty much along the same lines as now, with the exceptions that party politics would not be allowed and the voting would be done via text messaging. It would be mandatory for all on the electoral roll to register their mobile numbers to be eligible to vote. The candidate with the highest number of messages wins.  Simple. LOL x

2.  These MPs will now choose a leader from amongst themselves. The ones with the ten most votes (designated the Prime Ministerial candidates) will enter something like the Big Brother House in which they will stay until they elect the Prime Minister of Britain. Every Prime Ministerial candidate will spend a day in discussion with each of the other candidates until he/she has spent a day with them all. This will take 9 days and the cameras will be broadcasting everything as it happens.

3.  There will be a Diary Room where the candidates can take refuge and share their thoughts with the world at large.  I think it would be fascinating if they were given a challenge or two to keep them occupied.  I'm not sure exactly what but given that all politicians are expert at dissembling, intrigue and deception, something that plays to these attributes would be appropriate. Cluedo, perhaps?

4. On the tenth day, each of the candidates will vote for the candidate they think is most suitable for leadership, apart from themselves. The one with the highest number of votes becomes Prime Minister and the ritual smoke signal is sent out to the world.

This idea needs further development but it has got to be an improvement on the present system, hasn't it?   
 

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