'The date of the general election should be set in law, rather than by the Prime Minister' - John Leech MP

11.30.00am GMT Tue 30th Oct 2007

Following the fiasco of the cancellation of the general election in October, Manchester MP John Leech is joining his Liberal Democrat colleagues in calling for fixed term parliaments.

'The Prime Minister must be stripped of the power to decide the date of the general election,' John Leech MP said, 'It is an archaic tradition which essentially allows the Prime Minister to call a snap election when its suits his or her respective party.

'This autumn demonstrates exactly that. Gordon Brown permitted election fever to grow, and but prevented it from going ahead because he realised he would probably lose.'

John Leech MP and the Liberal Democrats believe that each Parliament should last a fixed term of four years. This is already the case for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh National Assembly.