Who is more powerful: The Queen or the Prime Minister?

[Joe9T]

I would like to find out who really holds the most power in Great Britain.

 

Does the Queen hold the most power, even over parliament and the prime minister?

 

I have read that she has the power to dissolve parliament, but the government could turn round to her then and say we don't want you anymore.

 

In that situation, if it ever happened, i would have thought that it really depended on the people of this country and whether they accepted that to happen.

If they didn't accept it and there was rioting and complete anarchy and the government had to send in the army, the army might switch allegiance and support the Queen instead.

 

I would like a serious debate here please.

[olorin]

Switch sides?

 

Last I heard the armed forces swear allegiance to Queen and Country, not some prat in Number 10.

 

And dont forget - the queen can and will dissolved Parliement if she needs to and it's formed at her invitation - something that Labour in the 1970's found out especially when the SNP tabled a motion and caused a whoopsie.

 

In fact - they appear to be trying the same trick again

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8079604.stm

 

maybe the SNP *are* of some use....

[bizzle]

I maybe wrong but I think it is the Queen. I know the PM has to "get approval" from her ladyship herself before he can go ahead with anything.

[Cyclone]

The Queen doesn't hold any real power at all, she's a figurehead.

[Minimo]

I suspect neither holds the most power in Britain. That privilege is held by big business interests who have the power to get government to do its bidding.

[anarchist]

At the moment the Prime Minister has no power whatsoever. Events are running him. People do not question the Queen's authority. They certainly do with Brown.

[HeadingNorth]

The Queen doesn't hold any real power at all, she's a figurehead.

 

In practice, Cyclone is correct. There are some powers that the monarch still holds, but only on condition that they are not used. Refusing to give Royal Assent to a bill, for instance, would very quickly mean that Royal Assent was no longer required.

 

The only useful power the monarch still has is to force a general election by dissolving Parliament, and that has never been used; it only ever would, I think, if a corrupt government refused to go to the country after the five-year term was up.

(In 1940/1/ish, an Act was passed postponing the general election, on the quite reasonable grounds that we were at war with Germany and having large queues of people waiting to vote in public places, really was not a good idea. If a government was unpopular but tried to push through such an Act solely to prevent itself from being voted out, then, I can see the Queen dissolving Parliament against the PM's will. In no other circumstances could it ever happen.)

[dakota10]

The Queen is more powerful than the Prime Minister. Even the president cannot stand a chance against the Queen or King on who will be on the top.

[anarchist]

In practice, Cyclone is correct. There are some powers that the monarch still holds, but only on condition that they are not used. Refusing to give Royal Assent to a bill, for instance, would very quickly mean that Royal Assent was no longer required.

 

The only useful power the monarch still has is to force a general election by dissolving Parliament, and that has never been used; it only ever would, I think, if a corrupt government refused to go to the country after the five-year term was up.

(In 1940/1/ish, an Act was passed postponing the general election, on the quite reasonable grounds that we were at war with Germany and having large queues of people waiting to vote in public places, really was not a good idea. If a government was unpopular but tried to push through such an Act solely to prevent itself from being voted out, then, I can see the Queen dissolving Parliament against the PM's will. In no other circumstances could it ever happen.)

 

There are many types of power. The queen retains respect and is not answerable to the electorate.

 

In a year, the queen (unless she dies in the next 12 months) will still be in power. Gordon Brown won't.

 

The queen is also head of the Church of England, and the head of the commonwealth. Anyone can in theory become Prime Minister. Just look at the numpty currently in the job. Thankfully we have it in our power to get rid of him. You have to be born into the monarchy, and have the job for life.

[Rioja]

She does not even write her own Queen's Speech, she has to mouth the words put in front of her by the Government of the day.

 

When she gets up in front of Parliament and announces "My Government are a set of shysters and the spineless opposition are just as bad, they are all bent and in it for themselves", then she will have exercised a modicum of power.