Fixed Term Parliaments Bill

[doktorb]

The new Fixed Term Parliaments Bill is now on line (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmbills/064/2011064.pdf)

((And long over due it is too! How sad and pathetic it has been all these generations to see the United Kingdom as the only civilised and advanced western democracy anchored to the past by the right of the Prime Minister of the day to call an election when he or she chooses))

The prosiac sections we need to be very proud of are:

Section 1(2) and 1(3)

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And then there's lovely little consequential movements such as:

Septennial Act 1715 (c. 38)
2 The Septennial Act 1715 is repealed

[minionofmidas]

Septennial Act 1715 (c. 38)
2 The Septennial Act 1715 is repealed

Lol.

(Only? A lot of countries vote when the Government wants them to vote. The exact procedures might be a little different, though.)

[You kip if you want to...]

Australia and Canada have the same system of calling an election right?

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

((And long over due it is too! How sad and pathetic it has been all these generations to see the United Kingdom as the only civilised and advanced western democracy anchored to the past by the right of the Prime Minister of the day to call an election when he or she chooses))

Denmark isn't an advanced western democracy?

Yeah good that Britain finally gets fixed terms as well. It's a shame a sitting goverment can just call a snap election whenever polls look favourable for them.

[Hash]

((And long over due it is too! How sad and pathetic it has been all these generations to see the United Kingdom as the only civilised and advanced western democracy anchored to the past by the right of the Prime Minister of the day to call an election when he or she chooses))

Steve Harper did that in 2008 too (and broke his own law).

[Phony Moderate]

Despite the fact that General Elections have tended to be called every four years since World War Two....

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Despite the fact that General Elections have tended to be called every four years since World War Two....

If Labour wanted four-year fixed parliaments instead of five they had 13 years to arrange it.

[minionofmidas]

Despite the fact that General Elections have tended to be called every four years since World War Two....

If Labour wanted four-year fixed parliaments instead of five they had 13 years to arrange it.

But Labour didn't want fixed parliaments; your point being?

[Franzl]

Good news.

[Bacon King]

Note that under this bill, Parliament requires a 2/3 majority to have an election earlier than specified; an early election is also still held if a motion of no confidence passes.  This bill basically just says "we'll always have a vote on the first thursday of may if we don't dissolve ourselves after five years and don't bipartisanly agree to move the election up"

[Phony Moderate]

Note that under this bill, Parliament requires a 2/3 majority to have an election earlier than specified; an early election is also still held if a motion of no confidence passes.  This bill basically just says "we'll always have a vote on the first thursday of may if we don't dissolve ourselves after five years and don't bipartisanly agree to move the election up"

So, let's say that 51% of MP's vote for an early General Election. How can a government carry on if a majority of MP's have lost their confidence in them?

[doktorb]

Rather than "We're going to have an election when we feel it would be advantageous for us to do so"

[Franzl]

Note that under this bill, Parliament requires a 2/3 majority to have an election earlier than specified; an early election is also still held if a motion of no confidence passes.  This bill basically just says "we'll always have a vote on the first thursday of may if we don't dissolve ourselves after five years and don't bipartisanly agree to move the election up"

So, let's say that 51% of MP's vote for an early General Election. How can a government carry on if a majority of MP's have lost their confidence in them?

Simple. Pass a motion of no confidence with that 51%. How hard is this to understand?

[Bacon King]

Note that under this bill, Parliament requires a 2/3 majority to have an election earlier than specified; an early election is also still held if a motion of no confidence passes.  This bill basically just says "we'll always have a vote on the first thursday of may if we don't dissolve ourselves after five years and don't bipartisanly agree to move the election up"

So, let's say that 51% of MP's vote for an early General Election. How can a government carry on if a majority of MP's have lost their confidence in them?

Simple. Pass a motion of no confidence with that 51%. How hard is this to understand?

Actually, didn't the coalition raise the bar for passing a no-confidence resolution?

[You kip if you want to...]

Note that under this bill, Parliament requires a 2/3 majority to have an election earlier than specified; an early election is also still held if a motion of no confidence passes.  This bill basically just says "we'll always have a vote on the first thursday of may if we don't dissolve ourselves after five years and don't bipartisanly agree to move the election up"

So, let's say that 51% of MP's vote for an early General Election. How can a government carry on if a majority of MP's have lost their confidence in them?

Would the PM resign and the Leader of the Opposition be asked to form a government, without an election occuring?

[Хahar 🤔]

This is a rather disgusting piece of work. What sort of whip will be applied?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

That situation would be constitutionally untenable as the Government must have the Confidence of the House. Presumably the correct resolution would be for the toppled PM and the Leader of the Opposition to agree to fresh elections; but as there may be reasons for one of them not to want fresh elections (and as previous understandings of what to do after the fall of a government wouldn't carry the weight they do at present), the potential for a serious constitutional crisis is certainly there. Unless there's some patch or other hidden in the legislation.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Despite the fact that General Elections have tended to be called every four years since World War Two....

If Labour wanted four-year fixed parliaments instead of five they had 13 years to arrange it.

But Labour didn't want fixed parliaments; your point being?

Harriet Harman specificly said that "we" Labour agreed with fixed terms, but that they should be four years not five during the Queen's Speech debate, so apperently now they do, except they want four years instead of five.

Note that under this bill, Parliament requires a 2/3 majority to have an election earlier than specified; an early election is also still held if a motion of no confidence passes.  This bill basically just says "we'll always have a vote on the first thursday of may if we don't dissolve ourselves after five years and don't bipartisanly agree to move the election up"

So, let's say that 51% of MP's vote for an early General Election. How can a government carry on if a majority of MP's have lost their confidence in them?

Would the PM resign and the Leader of the Opposition be asked to form a government, without an election occuring?

That's how it works in Sweden at least. An early election is only held if no candidate for the job is abled to be approved.

[You kip if you want to...]

Despite the fact that General Elections have tended to be called every four years since World War Two....

If Labour wanted four-year fixed parliaments instead of five they had 13 years to arrange it.

But Labour didn't want fixed parliaments; your point being?

Harriet Harman specificly said that "we" Labour agreed with fixed terms, but that they should be four years not five during the Queen's Speech debate, so apperently now they do, except they want four years instead of five.

Note that under this bill, Parliament requires a 2/3 majority to have an election earlier than specified; an early election is also still held if a motion of no confidence passes.  This bill basically just says "we'll always have a vote on the first thursday of may if we don't dissolve ourselves after five years and don't bipartisanly agree to move the election up"

So, let's say that 51% of MP's vote for an early General Election. How can a government carry on if a majority of MP's have lost their confidence in them?

Would the PM resign and the Leader of the Opposition be asked to form a government, without an election occuring?

That's how it works in Sweden at least. An early election is only held if no candidate for the job is abled to be approved.

True, and since Labour wouldn't be able to form a 326 seat majority government without the Liberals, the nationalists, Caroline Lucas and Sylvia Hermond, then a new election would have to be held. This is part of the reason why the Liberals went with the Tories in May, the numbers just aren't there for Labour to stay in government.

I don't see a realistic situation were the Tories are pulled down on 51%, the new Labour leader becomes PM with their 256 seats, and there not be another election.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't see a realistic situation were the Tories are pulled down on 51%, the new Labour leader becomes PM with their 256 seats, and there not be another election.

In theory. But in practice it isn't a good idea to design constitutional reforms on the basis that no one would dare play silly buggers, especially as there is a history of doing just that in Britain at all levels of government.

[k-onmmunist]

Half-baked.

[Yamor]

I don't see any problem here at all - remember, if a government which commands the support of the commons cannot be formed within 14 days, new elections are anyway called.