So one of the first acts of our new EU regional administrators is to introduce fixed term parliaments.
I support fixed term parliaments – I even have a button for the campaign for fixed term parliaments in the sidebar of this blog – but I can’t bring myself to support the ConDem coalition’s proposal.
There is nothing at all wrong with a 5 year fixed term parliament and I wholeheartedly agree with it. Stopping the British Prime Minister of the day from calling an election when it is politically expedient rather than when it is good for the country is a fantastic idea.
What is wrong, though, is the requirement for 55% of British MPs to pass a vote of no confidence to bring about a dissolution of parliament and subsequent election. To be honest, in a fixed term parliament, the current rule of 50% +1 MP to pass a vote of no confidence would no longer be acceptable. Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas so the party in power should have no say in a vote of no confidence. If they have the support of parliament then they should be able to survive a vote of no confidence.
I would prefer to see a 5 year fixed term parliament with a requirement for 75% of opposition MPs required to force a dissolution of parliament. It needs to be a high figure to prevent spurious attempt to depose the party in power but not so high that the opposition has to be virtually unanimous in their opposition of the ruling party making it almost impossible to depose them.
This 55% rule will keep ConDem coalition in power for as long as they want it and certainly most parties that form a government through an outright majority. The extra 5% is 4 MPs – hardly an insurmountable target.
Cameron’s campaign for absolute power has to be stopped.
