Well, that was a surprise yesterday! I certainly was not expecting the PM to announce a general election. I was on the train down dealing with my usual mountain of emails when Lucy Powell the MP for Manchester Central tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if I has seen the rumours on Twitter that there was to an early election. I had not. Within minutes it was confirmed. We are all back fighting a general election two years after the last one. As readers can imagine there is much to do. MUCH to do! If I am re-selected by the Bury North Conservatives to contest the general election this will be the sixth general election I have fought. Ususally I have been well prepared with literature written and campaign plans all in place. I now have to get to that position as quickly as possible. I am going to try and update my website as I usually do but from today I will not be undertaking to update it every single day. During election campaigns once we get into the main campaign period every day is pretty much the same. Get up, campaign, go to bed – repeat the next day.
Here in Parliament the Backbench Business Committee had a very short Committee meeting yesterday. We met only in private as there were no MP’s bidding for time. Just as well as we already have a backlog of debates we have approved and are awaiting time to allocate them. Now we know this Parliament is to be brought to an end quite probably as early as next week it is doubtful there will be anymore time.
Today, the big vote will be the vote on whether to actually have an early election. Under the provisions of the Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 two thirds of MP’s have to vote for an election to end the five year term early. In the past the Prime Minister could have just gone to the Queen and seek a dissolution. The 2011 Act is a nonsense and should be repealed. I opposed it at the time if I can recall correctly. As I suspect today will prove how can any opposition party realistically oppose a motion to hold a general election! They would effectively be saying “no thanks we don’t want the chance to take over you are doing a a great job in government please continue! ” So I expect the motion will be passed today with the requisite majority indeed I am not even sure anyone will vote against the motion. Incidentally, the motion is now available on the order paper. It is a very short 9 words motion standing purely in the name of The Prime Minister ‘That there shall be an early parliamentary general election.’
David Nuttall 
This just underlines the fact that you can never believe Tory commitments.
6 votes here. Plus manifesto ideas – energy, stop wasting billions on foreign aid/HS2 – get behind a lagoon or river tidal system – employ ‘locals’ only = predictable power! Education – LIFE is about selection – get on with proper grammars. Defence – anybody under 30 should be – employed, in education, in between work, a carer/special case or in the armed forces. Tax – increase it on cheap booze in supermarkets ohh and you love this one – repeal no smoking areas (we ain’t sun dripped Spain etc.,) – which will really whizz off the liberal prats and give us our pubs back.
Thank you very much and for your policy ideas. I am afraid I cannot promise they will all become a reality in the next five years.
Best wishes,
David
Shame. I dropped some of the more radical ideas e.g sack House of Lords Peers/Damsels and Priests of various guises – replace with a SELECT few pro rata grouping to oversee legislation. There’ll never be a hope of this one!!
Good luck again David, vote from me guaranteed!
Perhaps I can get an early question in for you as a candidate in Bury North.
If the SNP get over 50% of the vote in Scotland would you support, by vote in the House of Commons or otherwise, their inevitable call for a second Independence Referendum.
The PM’s current response, that now is not the time, seems to have less legitimacy now she herself has called a general election.
The SNP got 49.97% of the vote in 2015, and of course a very significant majority of Scotland’s seats.
The Scots have just had a referendum. Personally I do not think there is demand for one outside of the SNP. Not everyone who votes SNP would support the idea of having another referendum.
David
But my thought is that the SNP will include a demand for a referendum in their manifesto – and if 50%+ vote for them it will be difficult for your argument that it is a minority demand – surely ?
Only 37% of the electorate voted Conservative in 2015 – with its manifesto commitment for an EU referendum. But we had it !
My fear is for the future of our country. I would hate it to split but everything the government does seems to make that eventuality closer and closer.
What will will be called – neither United Kingdom or Great Britain and Northern Ireland would do. And would our Queen need a passport to go to Balmoral ?
If you insist ‘the Scots have just had’ a referendum and another will have to wait (how long) but a majority support a manifesto with a demand for one then resentment at rule from Westminster ( just like we had from Brussels) will grow and grow. Hopes of a settled constitution will fade.
How do you see this being resolved.
Thank you.
2 Votes here for you David
Wonderful news, I just hope she hasn’t left it a few weeks too late. You can count on 2 votes here.
It’s funny how quickly Theresa May changes her mind on a general election, for the party and not for the country I guess. I’ll actively support whatever party is best suited to beat the Conservatives in this election.