PM
Conservative
這次的PM選舉我並沒參與投票，不過我看到了英國人選後的風度，國內的人應該將人家的風度作為借鏡，輸者服輸，下台一鞠躬，沒有惡言相向或來個遊行抗議計票不公，一切都在謝幕後做為結束。
剛開始我並不是很了解英國政黨或選舉分配的制度，本以為是以全民投票去計算，直到“工黨”計票為356多席位以高票當選時我才問先生為什麼票那麼少？不是在選PM嗎? 是，只不過英國一直以傳統方式去制定，就是以每選區去計算。若該政黨在那區域是以高票當選的話，那麼就由該黨來治理所屬的區域。
這次在英格蘭大概有10黨左右吧！我們這區域分配四黨，當然也包括分配到Tony Blair/Labour(Lab工黨)，即使先生及他娘想支持【工黨】但似乎也是多餘的，因為這一區幾乎都是Liberal Democrat(LD自民黨)的服務區，所以就將票投給LD，工黨票就留給被分配到的區域去投吧。不過自己聽的也霧沙沙有點複雜，這票選制度怎麼聽起來好像也不怎麼公平，感覺是2種選舉以一種名義混在一塊，不過我先生就說「別忘了，我們不是選總統，system是不同！」可是我又質疑 Prime Minister(首相)這個位置不是Leader嗎?不就是等於總統嗎？後來我才知“首相”跟“總統”是不同，總統是國家的leader沒人去bother him，英國每城鎮區域的管理政黨也算是Leader吧，Tony Blair is a PM，he still needs to meet the Queen, and the Queen has to authorize him to form the government.So bascially 女皇才是國家的主人，是leader不過女皇權利也是有限的。
最後我的結論就是跟先生說「聽起來我還是不覺得英國選舉制度是民主的」不過也許我在這裡待不久所以無法感受到英國的傳統選制。
註:以前台灣是支持“柴爾契夫人”Mrs.Thatcher(保守黨)，當時小只跟著台灣煤体認識而已，不過來英國後聽了一些談話性節目及英國人的聊天中才對於始末有所了解了一下，這位首相在位時差點讓英國經濟衰退到極點。不過我也發現英國的【保守黨Conservative Party】真的很保守。
*************************************************************************************
以下摘至台灣電子新聞:
2005-05-09 /Claire Lai 翻譯：賴美君
Tony Blair weathered a backlash over the Iraq war to win a historic third term as Britain's prime minister, but his Labor Party suffered a sharply reduced parliamentary majority that could weaken his mandate and force him to step aside before his term ends.
布萊爾平安度過伊拉克戰爭的餘波盪漾，第三度當選英國首相，留下歷史記錄。不過他所屬的工黨在國會過半的席次卻大幅滑落，可能會削減他的權力，迫使他在任期結束前做出讓步。
A chastened Blair acknowledged the setback and appealed for unity.
歷經磨練洗禮的布萊爾體悟到這次挫敗，呼籲英國要團結。
"Iraq has been a divisive issue in this country but I hope now that we can unite again and look to the future there and here," he said Thursday as results trickled in. He spoke from his home constituency of Sedgefield, northern England, where he retained his seat.
「伊拉克的議題在英國一向意見分歧，不過我現在希望我們可以再度團結，展望未來光景。」他於週四選舉結果逐漸明朗時表示。他是在他北英格蘭家鄉Sedgefield的選區發表聲明。他在此區再度穩住他的首相席位。
Labor needed at least 324 seats to form a majority in the 646-seat House of Commons. With 618 seats reporting, Labour had 353 seats; the main opposition Conservatives 194; Liberal Democrats 59; and independents and smaller parties 12. Labor's majority of 161 in the last Parliament had been slashed by almost 100 seats.
工黨至少要拿下324席才能在共有646席的下議院取得多數。報導已出爐的618席位中，工黨贏得353席。主要的反對黨保守黨抱走194席，自由民主黨贏得59席，獨立參選人與其他小黨則取得12席。工黨在國會原本以161席過半，現在已被大幅取走將近100席。
The slip in Labor's lead could loosen Blair's grip on power and prompt calls for him to step down before he has served a full five-year term. His Cabinet colleague and rival, powerful Treasury chief Gordon Brown, is widely regarded as his likely successor.
工黨的優勢滑落，可能會鬆動布萊爾手中的權力，並激發要他在五年任期結束前下台的呼聲。普遍認為布萊爾的國會幕僚與強勁敵手財政部長高登布朗是繼承布萊爾的可能人選。
Never before has the Labor Party won three straight elections. Margaret Thatcher accomplished the same feat for the Conservatives, the only other prime minister in modern British history to do so.
工黨過去從未連續三次在大選中獲得勝利。保守黨的柴契爾夫人也曾創下三連霸的紀錄，是除了布萊爾之外，英國現代史上的唯一一人。
"I think we can be really proud of what we've achieved," Blair, who turned 52 Friday, told supporters on his return from Sedgefield to London. "We've got a mandate to govern this country again."
「我想我們真的為我們的成果感到驕傲，」布萊爾週五剛好滿52歲，他從Sedgefield返回倫敦後對記者說：「我們又再度背負執政的使命。」
The margin of a Labor victory could have consequences for Britain's "special relationship" with the United States. The battering Blair took over Iraq during the campaign suggested that any future British leader will probably be wary of backing Washington militarily in the face of hostile domestic opinion.
工黨票數滑落可能是英國與美國「特殊關係」造成的後果。布萊爾在競選時因伊拉克議題飽受抨擊，意味英國將來任何一位領導者面臨國內強烈反對的民意時，可能要小心軍事支援華府。
A politically weakened Blair, who has said he will not seek another term, also could find it difficult to persuade British voters to approve a proposed constitution for the European Union, which requires ratification by all member states.
發現很難去說服英國選民去同意歐盟的憲法提案。歐盟憲法必須要全體會員同意才可行。
