Karen Said:

what were the salient issues of the 2001 UK general election?

We Answered:

Is this for a term paper?

Nancy Said:

who do you think will win the general election uk?

We Answered:

If David Cameron really believes older people who have never voted Tory IN THEIR LIFE are going to somehow vote Tory this time round,,, then he's more of a deluded idiot than Gordon Brown is.

Unbelievable.

How things are at the moment, my guess, a hung Parliament or the Tories by a very small majority.......
Tomorrow thought, next week, next month, polling day,,,, who knows, everything up for grabs, even No Ten.

Louis Said:

Do you think that the next General election (UK) will be this year, or next?

We Answered:

I agree they will get rid of Gordon Brown within the next few weeks, but I'm sure they won't hold a general election until the new leader gets his cabinet 100% behind him/her.

The new leader will then have to rebuild the shattered state of the party and hope the fortunes of the country improve under his/her leadership, if they don't they will hang on to the bitter end in June 2010.

Going to the country in October I think would be as disastrous as the local elections have been and they wouldn't risk it.

Bradley Said:

To hold the UK General Election on May 6th when will the election be called?

We Answered:

For a General Election on May 6 the Parliament would need to be dissolved on April 12.

The current parliament will cease to exist at midnight May 10, and June 3 is the last possible election date.

Dissolution is 17 days before election date, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Lucy Said:

How is it determined when a general election is held in UK?

We Answered:

Parliaments cannot last longer than five years but the actual date of the election is chosen by the Prime Minister. This usually means calling an election when circumstances are most favourable to the party in Government and so few Parliaments run their full term. A Prime Minister may be forced to call an election should s/he lose a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons but these are few and far between as the party in Government can usually command an overall majority in the House or at least can cobble one together for the purposes of winning the vote.

The current Parliament is likely to run the full term because the general consensus of opinion in the country at the moment is that the current Prime Minister is making such an appalling job of running the country that short of a miracle (and Gordon Brown is a God fearing man so he probably doesn't rule one out) there won't ever be a good time to call an election so he might just as well hang on for as long as possible and pray.

During the World Wars elections were as you say suspended in order to maintain continuity of Government for the duration of hostilities but this was only achieved by suspending the party system also. In this way party differences could be buried and a "National" Government formed with representatives of all political parties thus ensuring that no section of the community felt disenfranchised by not having an election.