There’s no denying it’s been a turbulent time in the UK politics lately, and it’s only gotten more confusing in the wake of Liz Truss’ resignation as… Prime Minister just six weeks after taking office.
With a new leader in the offing – and even a possibility Boris Johnson can return as prime minister – the call for a general election is growing louder, with a petition demanding that the number of votes rise to more than 1,000,000 signatures.
But another question that keeps popping up is that of looking to the monarchy to sort it all out — and whether King Charles could step in to dissolve parliament and force a general election.
Could it happen? Here’s what you need to know…
Can the king dissolve parliament?
The short answer is yes, the king can dissolve parliament – and in fact it is one of the most important duties of the monarch – but it is not as easy as it sounds.
The King’s authority to do so was compromised by the 2011 fixed-term parliamentary act that stipulates how long there must be between general elections and when someone can be called up earlier – but has since reverted to Charles after the law was repealed earlier this year.
The new law states: ‘The powers relating to the dissolution of Parliament and the convening of a new Parliament which could be exercised under Her Majesty’s prerogative immediately before the entry into force of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011 are exercisable again, as if the fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 had never been passed.’
Nevertheless, it is unlikely that King Charles would simply order the dissolution of parliament – even in light of the current situation – as he would probably only do so at the Prime Minister’s request, if they wanted, for example. to dissolve parliament prior to general elections.
Since 1924, when the then reigning monarch, King George V, asked the first Labor Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald to form a minority government after the Conservatives lost a vote of confidence in the House of Commons, a monarch has in fact not dissolved Parliament.
What happens if parliament is dissolved?
The dissolution of parliament, which normally takes place before a general election, brings business to a standstill in the House of Commons and Upper House – and every seat in the house becomes vacant.
It also means that members are no longer MPs and can no longer represent their supporters, nor can they use the letters MP after their names.
Those wishing to become MPs again must run for election – including the Speaker of the House of Commons, who must run for re-election.
However, the government will not resign – the parliament and the government are two separate institutions – and the ministers will remain in charge of their departments, as the role of a minister is separate from that of a member of parliament.
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