BUDGET 2013 & ELECTION 2014

The budget which takes place on Wednesday could be the last nail in the Tory / Lib Dem coffin.

We are nearly at the end of the third year of their government. Within the next 12 months we are likely to have a general election. We would normally get 'sweeteners' at this point of time, in a bid to buy votes next time round. I doubt they will be doing that this year.

ImayKnow said:

The budget which takes place on Wednesday could be the last nail in the Tory / Lib Dem coffin.

We are nearly at the end of the third year of their government. Within the next 12 months we are likely to have a general election. We would normally get 'sweeteners' at this point of time, in a bid to buy votes next time round. I doubt they will be doing that this year.

Click to expand...

How so? i think you will find that Cameron and Clegg will do whatever possible to keep this coalition going for the full term. I hope we dont have another general election in the next 12 months, as Labour would get back in. We dont need nor want that do we?

I was in town on Saturday and witnessed a political demonstration of Labour and a few smaller parties. One labour councillor was banging on about how those who are better off in life should be taxed to the hilt to allow those on benefits to receive a better quality of life and to take them away from poverty. Ill be damned if im going to be taxed more than i already am for it to be indirectly given to some scum who cant be bothered to get off their lazy backsides and work for a living. There in lies the problem with Labour. They encourage the benefit culture, and expect everything to be given to people for free. I have paid an absolute shed load in tax this year and even with LibCon i know that most of this has been wasted on the lazy.

bhm1712 said:

How so?

Click to expand...

Just a feeling I have - things are about to get a whole lot worse.

The Libs will then stop supporting the Torys to save their own face, and will want to form another coalition with Labour, as that is their ONLY chance of being involved in leading the country next time.

If the current coalition runs full term it will be curtains for the Lib Dems, and they know it.

Yep, we will be planning to go to the polls next year.

How can we have an election next year when we are on 5 year fixed term?

That's a max limit joe, not a minimum.

Though I see it as very unlikely myself.

joe-90 said:

How can we have an election next year when we are on 5 year fixed term?

Click to expand...

Its not fixed by any means. 5 years is the longest it can be without a general election. If the house of commons has a motion of no confidence in the government, and has a majority and that decision stands for 2 weeks the queen will officialy dissolve parliament triggering a GE. Also, if 2/3rds of the number of seats in the house of commons votes for a GE, one will be called.

AronSearle said:

That's a max limit joe, not a minimum.

Though I see it as very unlikely myself.

Click to expand...

Agreed.


I think we may be in for a couple of suprises with this budget as well as a fair few disappointments.However i dont see the coalition failing anytime soon. Its had its fair share of hickups already and they are still there.

What's this all about then?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011

It can't be dissolved now. It is fixed term.

bhm1712 said:

AronSearle said:

That's a max limit joe, not a minimum.

Though I see it as very unlikely myself.

Click to expand...

Agreed.


I think we may be in for a couple of suprises with this budget as well as a fair few disappointments.However i dont see the coalition failing anytime soon. Its had its fair share of hickups already and they are still there.

Click to expand...

What will hold it together is one simple argument.

*what have the lib dems achieved*.

Exactly, nothing of worth. They have done things they said they shouldn't (tuition fees), they have done things against their principles (voted in favour of secret courts, and press regulation). And economically have done little to nothing other than propose silly taxes, and to spin up the money press (but we have labour for that).

They need to stay in, in the hope they can achieve something to pin to their name.

If the economy flounders, they can't say "told you so", if it succeeds they can claim credit.

joe-90 said:

It can't be dissolved now. It is fixed term.

Click to expand...

Every parliament is dissolved by the queen.

But it's after 5 years now.

joe-90 said:

But it's after 5 years now.

Click to expand...

What you smoking/drinking ?

Since 1911, Parliament - the UK's national legislature - has had its maximum term set at five years (prior to 1911 Parliament could sit for a maximum of seven years). After five years, Parliament must be dissolved by the Monarch - as a consequence, this means that theoretically elections to the House of Commons must occur at least every five years, though in practice there is sometimes a delay of one or two months. The 1997 general election, for example, was held 5 years and 1 month after the preceding 1992 general election.
Unlike many nations such as the United States of America however, the United Kingdom does not have a fixed term for its Parliament, only a maximum term. The British Prime Minister has the power to seek an early dissolution from the Monarch (which cannot be refused) - once the Monarch grants this dissolution, an early election is held. As such, the time between elections can vary greatly; many British governments have generally preferred to hold office for four years before holding an early election, rather than sitting for a full five year term. It is not unheard of, however, for a government to fight two elections in the same year. If a party wins only a very small majority (or no majority, but still wins the most seats) in an election, it is customary for them to hold an early election to increase their majority. Furthermore, the House of Lords - Parliament's less powerful upper house - has the power to extend the maximum term of Parliament in the event of a national emergency. This power has been exercised twice since 1911, during the two World Wars - the planned 1915 and 1940 general elections were postponed until 1918 and 1945, respectively. Finally, a government can be forced to hold an early election if it loses a vote of confidence or fails to pass its annual budget; in either case, a Prime Minister must resign or contest an election (usually the latter). This has happened three times since 1911, and twice has lead to an early election, after the defeats of Ramsey MacDonald and James Callaghan (both Labour Party PMs) in 1924 and 1979, respectively.

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced fixed-term elections for the first time to the Westminster parliament. Under the provisions of the Act, parliamentary elections must be held every five years, beginning in 2015. The Act received Royal Assent on 15 September 2011. Fixed-term Parliaments, where general elections ordinarily take place in accordance with a schedule set far in advance, were part of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement which was produced after the 2010 general election.

Before the passage of the Act, Parliament could be dissolved by royal proclamation by virtue of the Royal Prerogative. This originally meant that the British Monarch decided when to dissolve Parliament. Over time, the monarch increasingly acted only on the advice of the Prime Minister; by the nineteenth century, Prime Ministers had the de facto power to dissolve Parliament and call a new general election at a time of their choosing.
The Septennial Act 1715 provided that a Parliament expired seven years after it had been summoned; this period was reduced to five years by the Parliament Act 1911. Apart from special legislation enacted during both World Wars to extend the life of the then-current Parliaments, Parliament was never allowed to reach its maximum statutory length, as the monarch always dissolved it before its expiry.[1]