[EL] UK now has fixed term parliament with option of self-dissolution

[Josiah Neeley]

Actually, I believe that enacting fixed-term parliaments was one of the conditions the Lib-Dems had for entering the coalition with Conservatives. Fixed-term parliaments don't mean that the Lib-Dems can't leave the coalition; a government can still be brought down at any time by a vote of no confidence. What it does mean is that the party in power can't just pick an election date based on what would be to its own partisan advantage. 
________________________________________
From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] on behalf of Douglas Carver [dhmcarver at gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2011 12:25 PM
To: jure.toplak at uni-mb.si
Cc: law-election at uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] UK now has fixed term parliament with option of       self-dissolution

Evidently Mr Cameron is not confident in the durability of his coalition..

On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 2:58 AM, <jure.toplak at uni-mb.si<mailto:jure.toplak at uni-mb.si>> wrote:
I have not seen news about this on the list (I may have missed it) and
members may find it interesting:

Last week UK for the first time in history enacted fixed-term
parliament. Elections will take place each 5 years in May. With this,
the prime minister is giving up the right to pick and choose the date of
the next election. Two thirds of the House of Commons can, however,
dissolve the House and call early elections any time (self-dissolution
of the parliament). The parliament is also dissolved early in case it
votes that there is no confidence in the government and then, within 14
days, it does not vote that there is confidence in a government.

The text of The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/enacted

Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011
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