When is the next general election going to be?

[dave_c]

When is the next general election (which would be Blair's third term if he won) going to be and when do you think it will be called at the earliest?

[greenday]

It is expected to be in May of this year, but in theory could be anytime before May 2006. It is pretty obvious that all the parties are gearing up for it, and they are usually called about six weeks before they happen I think. So we might expect to hear a date in about four to six weeks.

[Quizmonster]

The following is an extract from a parliamentary website:

How is a general election called?

"The decision to call a general election is made by the Prime Minister, who asks the Queen to dissolve parliament. This is done by a Royal Proclamation requiring the writs to summon a new parliament to be sent out. At this point the general election timetable comes into effect. The timetable runs for eighteen days starting with the dissolution of the old Parliament and the issue of writs on day 0 and ends on day 17, polling day. For the purposes of the timetable, weekends and public holidays are disregarded."

Since the Prime Minister has not yet asked the Queen to dissolve Parliament, no-one can say with absolute certainty when election day will be, though the media are convinced it will be on 5th May. From the above, you can work out how the timetable will work out if that turns out to be the case.