Should only MPs elected at the most recent general election be allowed to become Prime Minister?
There is no legal requirement that the Prime Minister must be an MP elected at the most recent general election. The role is appointed by the monarch to the person best able to command the confidence of the House of Commons, normally the leader of the largest party. Andy Burnham became Prime Minister in July 2026 after winning a by-election in June 2026 and then the Labour leadership, succeeding Keir Starmer. Recent petitions have called for a one-year minimum service as an MP before someone can become Prime Minister.
27 Opinions
I have always thought that when a PM leaves post the country should chose the next leader via a General Election. If as is usual the PM is leaving as their party has lost faith in them then it stands that the wider country has too. Therefore we should then decide the new leader. Even if it means a change in government.
No. But the should face an immediate vote of confidence in the House of Commons and only implement manifesto commitments.
Absolutely not. Inexperienced not only in political working, but also in the inner workings of governmental departments, the mechanisms of Parliament etc. should never be rewarded with the top job.
That's not how our system works. What we need is parties to be held accountable for sticking to their manifesto promises.
No however if massive changes are made to manifesto they are basically governing without a mandate and a GE should be called. Parties should be held accountable and not disposing of their leader so they can go whichever direction they want.
Someone becoming PM without having been elected at the last general election was, in the past, surprisingly common. But it's been rare recently, and a one-off exception is no reason to ban it.
I want the best person for the job. I don't care who they are or where they come from. I care they have interest of the many at their centre and courage to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done
I think there are major issues with the sort of political coup Burnham has taken since his kind of agenda hasn't won an election in my lifetime but this rule doesn't really deal with the problem of a change of leader resulting in a serious change of direction on a false mandate
We vote for local MPs and that translates into Parties who chose their own leader. We do not have a Presidential system…and don’t vote for the PM, the King is Head of State
When an incumbent PM falls mid-term, opposition parties never like the replacement. But being able to ditch a disastrous leader and bring in a replacement is probably a good thing on balance. Many in the USA will be wishing they could do it there.