[HPforGrownups] Re: Democracy and Prejudice in the WW ( with slight tinge of FF)

[Michelle Apostolides]

No: HPFGUIDX 50605


  Ebony said :
  Rather, I've always seen the Ministry as a "hidden" branch of the 
  UK's Muggle government that has an unusual degree of autonomy, but 
  that *someone* in the Muggle government secretly knows about them.  I 
  can't remember if I've got canon evidence for this, or if it's just a 
  gut feeling, but I think that wizards and witches are still subjects 
  of the Queen.  *Especially* since there doesn't seem to be a 
  completely parallel wizarding world that is autonomous, but just ind. 
  separate institutions.

  I wonder if he would be someone with a peerage, so that he could sit in the House of Lords ?


  I do think that the Brits occupy the position in the wizarding world 
  that the Brits occupied in the Muggle world 100 years ago, however--
  we've discussed it a bit here before, but I tend to think that the 
  Voldemort and Grindelwald things were worldwide affairs and affects 
  wizards and witches to some degree everywhere.  I cannot see Tom 
  Riddle's ambitions stopping at the Channel, or the Bosporus, myself. 

  This is a very good and fascinating point. I wonder if we will be able to get a better idea of how wizards cooperate worldwide this time ? 

  So the Ministry of Magic is just another ministry, and it happens to 
  be a very British ting... not to replace the Prime Minister as far as 
  magic is concerned, but as an appointed official under him.  How 
  they're appointed, I don't know... and whether the terms run along 
  with Muggle ones is doubtful (as from what I know of the UK, Fudge 
  seems more Thatcher than Blair or the guy who was Minister between 
  those two).

  Back to my idea of a seat in the House of Lords. I suspect a MOM would be given a life peerage, because I suspect that the Minister does not change in the same way that the government does. This way, he would be able to observe and perhaps influence any laws necessary, because all law goes to the House Of Lords for scrutiny. I think he would sit as a cross-bencher ( not affiliated to any political party ). I think the MoM just gets chosen because the people who are at the top see whoever as a safe pair of hands. Can't quote where and when, but didn't they want Dumbledore to be Minister ?  I would take this to mean that there is no ballot as to who gets to be MoM. perhaps they are appointed like French ministers are, based on expertise and not being dependant on their being an elected politician ?

  Michelle


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