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PM To Announce Election Date Tomorrow

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SparklyKatie On March 07, 2014
\m//O_O\\m/





Sheffield, United Kingdom
#31New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:22:35
@jonnythan Said

It is different, but I think it is just odd no matter what. I'd think it were odd if I lived in the UK.


It's worked pretty well since 1649.
jmo On April 29, 2021
Beruset af Julebryg





Yorkshire, United Kingdom
#32New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:23:04
I think the main idea behind it is so the parliament can hold an election whenever it sees fit. Goes into votes of no confidence for the Prime Minister etc.

I think it's odd in some senses, but good in cases of hung parliaments. If no parliamentary majority is formed then it's useful that another election can be called almost immediately so a government that has powers can be formed if a coalition cannot be created.
ninozara On April 30, 2020




Cheshire, United Kingdom
#33New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:26:00
@crazychica Said

I have no idea. So much of our election system and the way the government runs aren't written down but are based on convention and tradition. It's kind of confusing and when I took that politics class in high school the teacher said "that's the way it is" and moved on.



Yeah, like the PM has to go and ask the Queen to desolve parliament before an election is held. And then once their elected as PM the Queen has to officially ask him.

I quite like all our tradition though.
marshallc On September 12, 2014




Crawley, United Kingdom
#34New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:26:25
@jmo Said

I think the main idea behind it is so the parliament can hold an election whenever it sees fit. Goes into votes of no confidence for the Prime Minister etc.

I think it's odd in some senses, but good in cases of hung parliaments. If no parliamentary majority is formed then it's useful that another election can be called almost immediately so a government that has powers can be formed if a coalition cannot be created.


I heard that Labour can stay in even if the conservatives get more votes but only a few more votes as it isn't in the interests to change
jmo On April 29, 2021
Beruset af Julebryg





Yorkshire, United Kingdom
#35New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:28:44
@marshallc Said

I heard that Labour can stay in even if the conservatives get more votes but only a few more votes as it isn't in the interests to change



Labour will get 'first dibs' as it were to form a government as they formed the previous government, but that is only if they can form a cabinet that a majority vote in parliament votes for.

The Tories would undoubtedly vote against it so Labour would have to be sweet enough to the Lib Dems for this to happen. Despite the Lib Dems claiming they wouldn't go into a coalition with Labour unless they have a majority of seats they will if Vince Cable is allowed to be made chancellor. Not a bad thing imo either as Vince Cable is pretty much the only good thing about the Liberal Democrats.
ninozara On April 30, 2020




Cheshire, United Kingdom
#36New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:29:04
@Lili Said

What's the purpose of the date being variable like that? Is there some good reason for it?



Apparently every election since the 30's has been on a Thursday, but different months. I think it's just one of those things. It's up to the Prime Minister when he wants an election.
crazychica On March 13, 2011
A taste of insanity





Aberdeen, United Kingdom
#37New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:34:52
@ninozara Said

Yeah, like the PM has to go and ask the Queen to desolve parliament before an election is held. And then once their elected as PM the Queen has to officially ask him.

I quite like all our tradition though.



It could still be tradition if it was written down. It would definately make it easier to explain. The only problem is that it would become less flexible.
jonnythan On August 02, 2014
Bringer of rad mirth


Deleted



Here and there,
#38New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:35:25
My sense of fairness tells me that the ruling party should have no special influence on elections in any way.
jmo On April 29, 2021
Beruset af Julebryg





Yorkshire, United Kingdom
#39New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:37:37
@jonnythan Said

My sense of fairness tells me that the ruling party should have no special influence on elections in any way.



I agree in that sense. I don't like the idea that a party can wait until they are at their most popular and hold an election there.

However I also don't like the idea of the parliament not being able to call a general election if it is in the public/parliamentary interest to do so.

I'm extremely torn on the issue.

If no government can be formed going four years without one would be catastrophic for example.
crazychica On March 13, 2011
A taste of insanity





Aberdeen, United Kingdom
#40New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:38:17
@jonnythan Said

My sense of fairness tells me that the ruling party should have no special influence on elections in any way.



Exactly. Unfortunately with the way things are they have the power to surprise the opposition with date which means that if it's not expected soon (say they decide to do it after 3 years) then they can have a campaign ready to roll out while the opposition parties, expecting at least another year, are caught only partially prepared.
SparklyKatie On March 07, 2014
\m//O_O\\m/





Sheffield, United Kingdom
#41New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:46:44
@jonnythan Said

My sense of fairness tells me that the ruling party should have no special influence on elections in any way.


Maybe if (like in the US) billions of pounds were spent on adverts and campaingning it wouldn't be as fair, but that doesn't happen here to the same extent it does over there. I think the last US election cost something like $5bn, the combined (for all parties) cost for a UK general election is around ?100m.

Quote:
Labour's last winning campaign cost ?17.94m. That means Labour spent ?1.90 for every vote it won


In the US it's over $10 per vote.

Parties don't actually need that much warning to be prepared for an election campaign. It's almost always timed to be in the spring or summer of the 4th or 5th year. A government could, technically, announce a general election 6 months after the last one.
crazychica On March 13, 2011
A taste of insanity





Aberdeen, United Kingdom
#42New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:49:08
@SparklyKatie Said

Parties don't actually need that much warning to be prepared for an election campaign. It's almost always timed to be in the spring or summer of the 4th or 5th year. A government could, technically, announce a general election 6 months after the last one.



They key words there are "almost always". The problem is that the party in power might decide to take advantage of a shortening lead in the third year since the last election and call one now to make sure they get an extra three years later.
SparklyKatie On March 07, 2014
\m//O_O\\m/





Sheffield, United Kingdom
#43New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:52:59
@crazychica Said

They key words there are "almost always". The problem is that the party in power might decide to take advantage of a shortening lead in the third year since the last election and call one now to make sure they get an extra three years later.


Yeah but a campaign with this system is relatively short. If the timing was fixed it would become a monotonous 6 (or more) month long drag and cost many times what it does currently, I'm happy how things are.
ninozara On April 30, 2020




Cheshire, United Kingdom
#44New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:53:10
I like that it's flexible, it means that all the parties have to act the same all the time.

I mean, it seems that since Brown has been in power every year there has been rumours on an election, and that's kept everyone aware - voters and parties.

If it was the same date, everyone would know well in advance and just court the voters coming up to that point, I know it is done anyway, but a lot of voters are won throughout the years.
crazychica On March 13, 2011
A taste of insanity





Aberdeen, United Kingdom
#45New Post! Apr 05, 2010 @ 23:58:32
@ninozara Said

I like that it's flexible, it means that all the parties have to act the same all the time.

I mean, it seems that since Brown has been in power every year there has been rumours on an election, and that's kept everyone aware - voters and parties.

If it was the same date, everyone would know well in advance and just court the voters coming up to that point, I know it is done anyway, but a lot of voters are won throughout the years.



Not really. It was predicted when he got into No 10 that he would wait the full five years before calling an election because Labour was really begining to drag in the polls. Even my high school Politics teacher was predicting a 5-year wait and danger of a hung parliament but she was always really good at calling elections and stuff. She even predicted the outcome of the last Scottish Parliamentary to a scarily close degree.
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