A no confidence vote by 50% + 1 would not require a GE as it currently does (in practice). Simple as that, no matter how you dress it up.
Hell, you mean Govts can change things to what they want? Outragous!
Peter, for someone who is usually so open minded, you do seem to be lacking objectivity on this subject. The accusation isn't that the Govt does or does not have the ability to 'change things to what they want', rather that changing the majority required in a vote of no confidence from a simple majority to a higher, arbitrary majority is undemocratic and purely for the purposes of protecting the position of the current Coalition.
I read what Haggishunter said. It's quite clear the Govt will need a majority to bring in this measure. And, at the next election people are totally at liberty to vote for parties wanting to go back to unfixed term parliaments when dissolution is at the whim of the Prime Minister alone not the house (one person, not the house! So all this talk about loss of democracy is pretty hollow).
In other words, the government is eroding democracy for its own ends.
No it isn't. Any Govt needs to be able to command the house. All that is happening (if I understand what HH said) is that votes of confidence that immediately brings the Govt down needs a larger majority, but if a new Govt can't be formed after a VOC, there will still be a disollution. So, it's a breathing space.
Actually, I think the Govt doesn't need this measure, I increasingly think it will survive a full term without much trouble. To me it is a true coalition, in that sections of both parties are unhappy about what they are, and are not, getting out of it. I'm delighted the right of the Conservatives are unhappy, that Europe isn't dominating things, and (as a liberal) unhappy that not everything we want is happening. It's almost as if neither party can get it's way, that each one is only partly in power ...
Edited by user
18 January 2011 10:26:36
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Reason: Not specified
"When it takes nearly 900,000 votes to elect one party’s MP, and just 26,000 for another, you know something is deeply wrong."
The electoral reform society, 14,12,19