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Fixed Term Parliaments?


observer

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Good or Bad idea? Up till now, I've always thought this would be a good idea, so the PM can't call elections at the most suitable time for him/her. But listening to some woman on Question Time tonight; who claims that this will mean that the new Coalition will be garanteed a 5 year term and can't be brought down by a vote of no-confidence - appears undemocratic and places the Executive in a position where they can't be challenged - seems rather unhealthy. :?

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Surely we have two issues here. Fixed term Parliament - yes that's OK.

Requirement for a 55 per cent majority to carry a vote of no confidence, well, maybe. Maybe not.

Way round it would be to have a vote to dissolve Parliament requiring a simple majority.

Personally I always found it ridiculous for a Goverment to resign because it lost a vote on one particular issue, which has happened on occasions in the past.

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Think your right there Eg; losing individual policy bills doesn't really matter, but the budgets would - so either a simple majority against, on the basis of a formal "no confidence" vote should suffice - it's not something any opposition would do lightly in any case - this Government will have to do some rather draconian fiscal first aid (VAT is going to go up already!), so they'll become rather unpopular in a fairly short space of time. :shock:

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The original concern with any manipulation of our constitution, would be that they finish up burning down the Reichstag! But Sir Christopher Chope (Tory MP); seems to have identified the real two faced motivation behind this LibDem motivated move :- a requirement for a 55% majority for a vote of no confidence, can be used to lock in a LibDem-Labour alliance too! :shock: So, if/when, the Libs fall out with the Tories, the Tory-Lib coalition falls apart, and the LibDem slappers move over to form a pact with Labour, which the Tories wouldn't be able to vote down. :shock: Oh what a sordid buisiness it all is! :wink:

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Easily solved- the Lib-Lab pact will not work due to Labour's arrogant dictatorial attitude discovered by the Lib Dems when they sounded them out towards the end of negotiations as Nick Clegg feared a rank and file revolt, and then the Tories might be able to persuade the others to vote down the 55% back to 51% in a cynical U-turn.

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