International   

Move to clip U.K. Premier’s powers

LONDON: The controversy over British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s botched plans for a snap election has prompted calls that the power to decide the timing of a general election should be taken away from the Prime Minister and transferred to Parliament.

There is also a move for Parliament to have a fixed term to spare the country an unwanted election.

At present, MPs have a five-year term but normally elections are called after four years. The Prime Minister also has the prerogative to decide the timing and can call an election whenever it suits the ruling party.

The idea is to avoid the sort of political drama and uncertainty that the country witnessed recently when Mr Brown was tempted into calling an election to take advantage of the Labour’s lead in opinion polls even though a general election is not due until 2009-2010. After weeks of intense speculation, he abandoned the plan as the party’s lead suddenly dropped and pollsters warned that Labour could end up losing an early election.

Senior Labour figures and ministers are reported to be in favour of a “fixed term” for Parliament; and for the Prime Minister’s power over when to call an election to be given to MPs.

Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the party, admitted that the recent controversy had “thrown a spotlight on something that needs to change”. Speaking on BBC’s Question Time on Thursday, she said: “People do feel unhappy … It’s not right the way the Prime Minister can choose and swish up to Buckingham Palace and the get the Queen to decide on a general election… It’s right that we should look at whether Parliament should decide on whether an election is called … So I think we should change the way we do that.”

Ms Harman said she had already raised the issue with Mr Brown and the Commons was going to “consider whether to take over that right”. She also suggested that the idea of a fixed term was under consideration.

After becoming Prime Minister in the summer, Mr Brown himself suggested a fixed term for MPs as part of wider parliamentary reforms.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Colombo rejects U.N. envoy’s idea on rights
Benazir’s clean chit to Musharraf
Move to clip U.K. Premier’s powers
Sarkozy, wife to part ways?
Myanmar junta arrests more activists
Nobel economist endorses Chavez regional bank plan
Fujimori appears in court
India not to back talks with Taliban
India, Russia to sign nuclear energy pact

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu