[Moltke]

If the English people re-elect a boob like Gordon Brown then they will deserve everything they get.

Re-elect? When did he get elected the first time? I thought he just kind of slipped in when Blair slithered out.

[Vanders9]

Prepare for the big shock - UK prime ministers are NOT elected, at least not by the great British electorate. So although we didn't vote for Gordon as PM, we didnt vote for Blair either. Or Thatcher. Or even Winston Churchill.

This isn't as bad as it sounds. Prime Ministers hold their position by virtue of commanding a majority in Parliament. So, in practice, the leader of whichever party wins the election is going to become PM, and everyone is well aware of that. So theoretically we don't elect PM's, but in practice we kind of do. In practice, if Labour wins the election Gordon Brown will remain as Prime Minister, and we all know it. Equally, if the Conservatives win, Cameron will become Prime Minister.