How The UK Got A New Prime Minister, Explained For Americans
Basically, a bloke called Graham decided it.
Hi America! So you might have heard that today the UK gets a new prime minister. This has happened much quicker than we expected and has taken lots of people by surprise.
You know how your presidential elections take about three years? This is not like that.
BBC
Maybe you’re thinking, Oh, that’s probably because the British sorted it out without any fuss in their quaint, traditional ways. There was probably tea involved. Haha NOPE.
No tea has played a significant role...yet.
David Parry / PA Images
As we explained recently, ever since we voted to leave the EU, everything about our country has become ridiculous and confusing.
So here’s what happened: David Cameron was our prime minister. He’s from the ruling right-wing Conservative party, aka the Tories – think the Republicans, except they all went to Oxford University and like posh things, like drinking port and having money.
He called a referendum on whether we should be in the EU, just to try to calm down the Europe-hating right wing of his party, but he then proceeded to lose it, plunging the country into economic and constitutional turmoil. So he resigned.
Channel 4
NOW HOLD UP, YANKEE FRIENDS. When our prime minister resigns, it’s not like a president resigning! We don’t directly elect our prime minister – instead, we elect members of parliament (MPs), and whoever can ~command a majority~ of MPs gets to be PM. Which basically means it’s the leader of the largest party.
As result, the country doesn’t get to elect a new prime minister when the old one goes, and we don't have a vice president who can step in right away and Biden things up a bit. Instead, it’s up to the ruling party to pick a new leader. In this case, that's the Conservatives.
(Don't worry, guys, this seems weird but it's happened loads of times before.)
James Steidl / Getty Images / BuzzFeed