David Howarth tables Fixed Term Parliaments Bill

9.40.28am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 8th Oct 2007

The Liberal Democrats will today [Monday] table a Bill to the House of Commons to introduce fixed parliamentary terms of four years.

The measure, which represents long-standing party policy, comes after Gordon Brown ruled out holding a General Election this autumn, and described the possibility of a poll in 2008 as "very unlikely".

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Solicitor General, David Howarth MP, who will table the Bill, said:

"The Liberal Democrats have for a long time argued that Parliament should be on the basis of fixed terms like most other modern democratic countries.

"It's quite wrong that the Prime Minister of the day should be able to fiddle the dates of the election for short term political advantage.

"Events over the last few days have shown how damaging it is to the political system for the Prime Minister to have that discretion.

David Howarth MP

"Gordon Brown has been playing games with the electorate in a system that is all too open to abuse."