Change She Be Coming

Today's election will, presumably, turf Gordon Brown out from Number 10 (unfortunately the mover-van behind Downing St in my image unclear but do trust that it is there). The financial markets are betting on a Tory majority while most polls suggest a hung parliament as neither party able to form a majority government of more than 50% of the seats in the House of Commons. If this happens, five more years of Super Gee unless he steps down - fat chance.

So bare with me, dear reader: parliament is the supreme legislative body in the UK and alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and our territories. At its head: the King or, as today, Queen Elizabeth II.

The parliament is bicameral, with an upper house, the House of Lords, and a lower house, the House of Commons. The Queen is the third component of legislature. The House of Lords includes Spiritual Lords (bishops of the Church of England) who spout on about buggery and fox-hunting and Peerage Lords (appointed by the King) who spout on about buggery and fox-hunting. Prior to the opening of the Supreme Court in 2009, the House of Lords also performed a judicial role through the Law Lords. The House of Commons, by contrast, an elected chamber with 650 members; voting is held every five years including today. The name BTW not because it originally represented commoners but rather because the constituencies were from the commons -- land areas.

Last election non held on a Thursday? 1931, on a Tuesday. There you have it.