Fixed Term Parliaments Bill — New Clause 5 — Expiry of Provisions for Early General Elections — 18 Jan 2011 at 20:00

The majority of MPs voted not to make the conditions for early general elections included in the Fixed Term Parliaments Bill expire when the current parliament is dissolved. The exceptions in the Bill enable an early general election to be called following a vote of no-confidence, or a vote by MPs demanding a requestor. Those who voted for the proposed new clause would have allowed future parliaments to set their own conditions for initiating an early general election, with the default position being a motion passed by the House of Commons would be sufficient to initiate an early election.

MPs were debating the Fixed Term Parliaments Bill^[1]. The text of the proposed new clause rejected in this vote was:

• (1) Section 2 expires when the Parliament summoned to meet in May 2010 dissolves.
• (2) In the course of the first month of the day of first meeting of any Parliament after the expiry of section 2 as a result of subsection (1) above, the Minister may by order bring the section back into force for the remainder of that Parliament.
• (3) An order made under subsection (2) above is to be made by statutory instrument and shall not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before and approved by a resolution of the House of Commons.
• (4) If no order has been made under subsection (2) above, an early parliamentary general election is to take place only if the House has passed a motion that there should be an early parliamentary general election.
• (5) The polling day for an early parliamentary general election under subsection (4) above is to be the day appointed by Her Majesty by proclamation on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
• (6) If a polling day is appointed under subsection (5) above, the reference in section 1(4) to the polling day for a parliamentary general election appointed under section 2(6) shall be construed as if referring to a day appointed under subsection (5) above.'.

The section 2 referred to is clause 2 of the Bill^[2] which provides for early general elections following a vote of no-confidence in the Government if it is not followed by a motion of confidence in a Government within 14 days; or following a motion by MPs calling such an election if it is passed either unopposed or with a majority of two-thirds of MPs.

==

• [1] Fixed Term Parliaments Bill (now an act) page on Parliament's website
• [2] Clause 2 of the Fixed Term Parliaments Bill at the time of the vote

Debate in Parliament | Source |