FIXED-TERM PARLIAMENT BILL TO BE TABLED BY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

11.28.00pm 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, Paul Keetch, MP for Hereford, 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 determine dates of the election for political advantage.

"Events over the last few weeks with the 'will he? won't he?' situation shows how damaging it is to the political system and this country for the Prime Minister to have that discretion.

"Gordon Brown has been playing games with the electorate in a system that is all too open to abuse and the Bill the Liberal Democrats propose will counter that."