HC Deb 30 January 1964 vol 688 cc533-4
Q8. Mr. A. Lewis

asked the Prime Minister why he will not introduce legislation to provide that the office of Prime Minister shall in future only be held by a person who has secured a majority of votes in the House of Commons voting for that purpose.

The Prime Minister

I am against unnecessary legislation.

Mr. Lewis

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware—and I guess he is—that the present Prime Minister was not elected by any persons, either in this House or in the country, when he was appointed; and that some people doubt whether he even had the support of his hon. Friends? Surely, there should be some method whereby British democracy can work, and is not this a good way of seeing that it does so?

The Prime Minister

I think that I dealt with that matter the day before yesterday.

Mr. Longden

Is my right hon. Friend aware that most people are getting heartily sick of all the rubbish that is being spoken—[Interruption.]—and has been written about his selection as Prime Minister; and that most people believe that the process of that selection was as democratic, as dignified and as expeditious as the process employed by the party opposite in selecting its leader a year ago.