By David Williams
13 May 2010
Government plans to introduce fixed-term Parliaments and hold a referendum on electoral reform have met a sceptical reaction from experts.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will personally oversee the political reforms, set out in the coalition agreement drawn up by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
Among the pledges is a commitment for five-year parliamentary terms, with an earlier dissolution of Parliament able to be achieved only with the approval of 55% of MPs.
Meg Russell, reader in British and comparative politics at University College London’s Constitution Unit, noted that the Conservatives had 47% of seats in the House of Commons. This meant that even if the coalition collapsed, the Commons could not overturn a minority Tory administration.
‘The 55% figure appears to be rather carefully chosen,’ she said, adding that the measure would not guarantee that the coalition held. ‘The Canadians voted for fixed-term Parliaments a few years ago, but once the government became unstable it just collapsed.
‘If the expectation is that a government should fall and there should be an election, then it will.’
Russell added that the alternative vote system to be put to a referendum does not deliver Parliaments that reflect the popular vote and ‘could result in larger majorities for the dominant party’.
Malcolm Prowle, professor of business performance at Nottingham Business School, agreed, saying AV would not have produced a greatly different result in this year’s election.
He welcomed the fixed-term Parliaments pledge as a ‘small step in the right direction’, but added: ‘It might hold coalitions together but a majority government would still be able to go to the country at the most opportune time for them.’
13 May 2010
Government plans to introduce fixed-term Parliaments and hold a referendum on electoral reform have met a sceptical reaction from experts.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will personally oversee the political reforms, set out in the coalition agreement drawn up by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
Among the pledges is a commitment for five-year parliamentary terms, with an earlier dissolution of Parliament able to be achieved only with the approval of 55% of MPs.
Meg Russell, reader in British and comparative politics at University College London’s Constitution Unit, noted that the Conservatives had 47% of seats in the House of Commons. This meant that even if the coalition collapsed, the Commons could not overturn a minority Tory administration.
‘The 55% figure appears to be rather carefully chosen,’ she said, adding that the measure would not guarantee that the coalition held. ‘The Canadians voted for fixed-term Parliaments a few years ago, but once the government became unstable it just collapsed.
‘If the expectation is that a government should fall and there should be an election, then it will.’
Russell added that the alternative vote system to be put to a referendum does not deliver Parliaments that reflect the popular vote and ‘could result in larger majorities for the dominant party’.
Malcolm Prowle, professor of business performance at Nottingham Business School, agreed, saying AV would not have produced a greatly different result in this year’s election.
He welcomed the fixed-term Parliaments pledge as a ‘small step in the right direction’, but added: ‘It might hold coalitions together but a majority government would still be able to go to the country at the most opportune time for them.’
