Where are our Liberties?

Imagine living in a country where your civil rights are restricted by the people running the country. One where political opponents get arrested for asking questions. One where obeisance to the party is the primary rule and speaking out against it will cost you your job. One where the ruling party continually reprint their latest version of the truth.

Yes, that's right you're living in the United Kingdom.

Mind you, 33 years ago in Australia the Governor General, being the representative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, sacked the incumbent Prime Minister, one Gough Whitlam.

I remember watching on TV as Gough Whitlam (Labour) stood on the steps of the Australian Parliament House in Canberra uttering the words "We may well say 'God save the Queen', because nothing will save the Governor General". The ABC article below highlights the problem; here was a Prime Minister who had lost the trust of his nation; the coffers were rapidly emptying because the Liberal/Conservative dominated Senate refused to approve the spending of money following a scandalous attempt to borrow USD 4 billion (quite a lot in 1975). In steps Her Majesty's representative, John Kerr, who Whitlam asked to dissolve half the Senate to resolve the problem. Instead, Whitlam ended up sacked and delivered his famous quote (YouTube clip below).

In the current crisis, where we have a Labour leader who, formerly as Chancellor and now as PM, is leading this country into Banana Republic territory and denying that any of it is his fault. He criticises those who point out that the economy is bad, looking to blame the nay-sayers as the news worsens every day. He simply fails to realise that when the IMF is mentioned that that organisation is THE lender of last resort and that he will need to speak to them when other countries and investors are unable or unwilling to buy the debt his government needs to issue to fund this countries problems.

I grew up believing that the Governor General had more power than the Queen, mostly based on hearsay. Until now. I've done a little bit of exploring and discovered that most of the Magna Carta is now repealed but unearthed this concept of the "Royal Prerogative".

So, starter for 10, can the Queen Elizabeth II choose to sack a Prime Minister and his government?

The ABC covered the story here.

as a result of a Loan Scandal

In the UK the Queen seems to have the power to do the same.