# Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011
> Source revision: 1356209960
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

Fixed-term Parliament Act 2011[a] Act of Parliament Parliament of the United Kingdom Long title An Act to make provision about the dissolution of Parliament and the determination of polling days for parliamentary general elections; and for connected purposes. Citation 2011 c. 14 Introduced by Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister (Commons) Lord Wallace of Tankerness, Advocate General for Scotland (Lords) Territorial extent United Kingdom Dates Royal assent 15 September 2011 Commencement 15 September 2011[b] Repealed 24 March 2022 Other legislation Amends Succession to the Crown Act 1707 Representation of the People Act 1867 Parliament Act 1911 Regency Act 1937 Representation of the People Act 1983 Representation of the People Act 1985 Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 Elections Act 2001 Repeals/revokes Septennial Act 1715 Repealed by Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 Relates to Triennial Act 1640 Meeting of Parliament Act 1694 Parliament Act 1911 Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019 Status: Repealed History of passage through Parliament Text of statute as originally enacted Revised text of statute as amended Text of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

Constitutional documents and events relevant to the status of the United Kingdom and its countries List per year Poynings' Law (on certification of acts) 1495 Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 1535 Crown of Ireland Act 1542 1542 Treaty of Union 1706 Acts of Union 1707 Succession to the Crown Act 1707 1707 Septennial Act 1716 Wales and Berwick Act 1746 Constitution of Ireland (1782) 1782 Acts of Union 1800 1800 HC (Disqualifications) Act 1801 1801 Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 1829 Reform Act 1832 1832 Scottish Reform Act 1832 1832 Irish Reform Act 1832 1832 Judicial Committee Act 1833 1833 Judicial Committee Act 1843 1843 Judicial Committee Act 1844 1844 Representation of the People Act 1867 1867 Reform Act (Scotland) 1868 1868 Reform Act (Ireland) 1868 1868 Irish Church Act 1869 Royal Titles Act 1876 1876 Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 1876 Reform Act 1884 1884 Interpretation Act 1889 1889 Parliament Act 1911 1911 Aliens Restriction Act 1914 1914 Status of Aliens Act 1914 1914 Government of Ireland Act 1914 1914 Welsh Church Act 1914 1914 Royal Proclamation of 1917 1917 Representation of the People Act 1918 1918 Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 1919 Government of Ireland Act 1920 1920 Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921 Church of Scotland Act 1921 1921 Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922 1922 Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922 1922 Ireland (Confirm. of Agreement) Act 1925 1925 Balfour Declaration of 1926 1926 Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 1927 Representation of the People Act 1928 1928 Eire (Confirmation of Agreement) Act 1929 1929 Statute of Westminster 1931 1931 HM Declaration of Abdication Act 1936 1936 Regency Act 1937 1937 Regency Act 1943 1943 British Nationality Act 1948 1948 Representation of the People Act 1948 1948 Ireland Act 1949 1949 Statute of the Council of Europe 1949 Parliament Act 1949 1949 Regency Act 1953 1953 Royal Titles Act 1953 1953 European Convention on Human Rights 1953 Interpretation Act (NI) 1954 1954 HC Disqualification Act 1957 1957 Life Peerages Act 1958 1958 Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 1962 Peerage Act 1963 1963 Royal Assent Act 1967 1967 Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968 1968 Immigration Act 1971 EC Treaty of Accession 1972 NI (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 European Communities Act 1972 Local Government Act 1972 UK joins the European Communities 1973 Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 NI border poll 1973 NI Constitution Act 1973 House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 Referendum Act 1975 EC membership referendum 1975 HC (Administration) Act 1978 Interpretation Act 1978 Scotland Act 1978 1978 Wales Act 1978 1978 Scottish devolution referendum 1979 Welsh devolution referendum 1979 British Nationality Act 1981 Representation of the People Act 1983 1983 Representation of the People Act 1985 1985 Single European Act 1985 Maastricht Treaty 1993 Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 1994 Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Act 1997 1997 Scottish devolution referendum 1997 Welsh devolution referendum 1997 1998 GLA referendum 1998 Bank of England Act 1998 1998 Good Friday Agreement 1998 Northern Ireland Act 1998 1998 Government of Wales Act 1998 1998 Human Rights Act 1998 1998 Scotland Act 1998 1998 GLA Act 1999 1999 House of Lords Act 1999 1999 Representation of the People Act 2000 2000 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 2000 Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 2002 Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 2004 Constitutional Reform Act 2005 2005 Government of Wales Act 2006 2006 GLA Act 2007 2007 Northern Ireland Act 2009 2009 LDEDC Act 2009 2009 Lisbon Treaty 2009 Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 2010 Parl. Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 2011 Welsh devolution referendum 2011 Alternative Vote referendum 2011 European Union Act 2011 2011 Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 2011 Sovereign Grant Act 2011 2011 Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 2011 Localism Act 2011 2011 Scotland Act 2012 2012 Succession to the Crown Act 2013 2013 Scottish independence referendum 2014 House of Lords Reform Act 2014 2014 Wales Act 2014 2014 HL (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015 2015 Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 2015 Recall of MPs Act 2015 2015 European Union Referendum Act 2015 2015 Local Government (Religious etc. Observances) Act 2015 2015 EU membership referendum 2016 Scotland Act 2016 2016 Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 Wales Act 2017 2017 European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 2017 Invocation of Article 50 2017 European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 2018 EU Withdrawal Act 2019 2019 EU Withdrawal (No. 2) Act 2019 Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019 2019 EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 2020 UK leaves the European Union 2020 UK Internal Market Act 2020 2020 EU (Future Relationship) Act 2020 2020 Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 2022 Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 2022 Elections Act 2022 2022 Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 2023 House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 2026 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 v t e

The **Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011** (c. 14) (**FTPA**) was an [act](/source/Act_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) of the [Parliament of the United Kingdom](/source/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom) which, for the first time, set in legislation a default [fixed election date](/source/Fixed-term_election) for general elections in the United Kingdom. It remained in force until 2022, when it was repealed by the [Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022](/source/Dissolution_and_Calling_of_Parliament_Act_2022). Since then, as before its passage, elections are required by law to be held at least once every five years, but can be called earlier if the [prime minister](/source/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom) [advises](/source/Advice_(constitutional_law)) the monarch to exercise the [royal prerogative](/source/Royal_prerogative_in_the_United_Kingdom) to do so. Prime ministers have often employed this mechanism to call an election before the end of their five-year term, sometimes fairly early in it. Critics have said this gives an unfair advantage to the incumbent prime minister, allowing them to call a general election at a time that suits them electorally. While it was in force, the FTPA removed this longstanding [power of the prime minister](/source/Powers_of_the_prime_minister_of_the_United_Kingdom).[1][2]

Under the FTPA, general elections were automatically scheduled for the first Thursday in May of the fifth year after the previous general election, or the fourth year if the date of the previous election was before the first Thursday in May. However, the FTPA also provided two ways to call an election earlier. One was a Commons [vote of no confidence](/source/Confidence_motions_in_the_United_Kingdom) in the government, which still required only a simple majority of voters. The other was a vote explicitly in favour of an earlier election, which required a qualified majority of two-thirds of the total membership of the Commons.[3] The first election under the FTPA was held on 7 May 2015. An early election was [held in 2017](/source/2017_United_Kingdom_general_election), after Prime Minister [Theresa May](/source/Theresa_May) received approval to call it by a two-thirds majority.[4]

Under the FTPA, the following general election was scheduled for 2022, but the [Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019](/source/Early_Parliamentary_General_Election_Act_2019), passed with Opposition support, circumvented the FTPA, providing for [an election on 12 December 2019](/source/2019_United_Kingdom_general_election) while otherwise leaving the FTPA in place. The Conservative Party entered the election with a manifesto pledge to repeal the FTPA.[5] The resulting Conservative majority government, in fulfilment of its commitment, published on 1 December 2020 a draft Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (Repeal) Bill to repeal the FTPA and revive the royal prerogative power of dissolving Parliament as it existed before the act.[6] The repealing legislation was formally announced in the [Queen's Speech](/source/Queen's_Speech) of 11 May 2021,[7] and granted royal assent as the [Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022](/source/Dissolution_and_Calling_of_Parliament_Act_2022) on 24 March 2022.[8]

## Background

The [Parliament of England](/source/Parliament_of_England) originated as a board of advisors for the monarch, or *[curia regis](/source/Curia_regis)*. As the king was able to summon Parliament at will, so could he [dissolve](/source/Dissolution_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom) it by [royal proclamation](/source/Royal_proclamation).[9] Events of the 17th century began to regulate the summoning and dissolution of Parliament; the [English Civil War](/source/English_Civil_War) was in large part caused by the efforts of [Charles I](/source/Charles_I_of_England) to rule without it. The [Triennial Act 1640](/source/Triennial_Act_1640) ([16 Cha. 1](/source/16_Cha._1). c. 1) was passed to require Parliament meet for at least one session every three years, providing for a failsafe mechanism should the king fail to issue the appropriate writs; this was replaced by the [Meeting of Parliament Act 1694](/source/Meeting_of_Parliament_Act_1694) ([6 & 7 Will. & Mar.](/source/6_%26_7_Will._%26_Mar.) c. 2), requiring annual sessions and a general election at least every three years.

The [Septennial Act 1715](/source/Septennial_Act_1715) ([1 Geo. 1. St. 2](/source/1_Geo._1._St._2). c. 38) increased the maximum lifespan of a parliament to seven years. The [Chartists](/source/Chartists) demanded annual parliamentary elections, which was the only demand of theirs that was not achieved by the early 20th century. The [Parliament Act 1911](/source/Parliament_Act_1911) ([1 & 2 Geo. 5](/source/1_%26_2_Geo._5). c. 13) amended the Septennial Act by reducing the lifespan to five years.[10] These laws can be, and have been, abrogated in times of great crisis, in practice during both World Wars, whose respective parliaments lasted from [1910](/source/December_1910_United_Kingdom_general_election) to [1918](/source/1918_United_Kingdom_general_election) and from [1935](/source/1935_United_Kingdom_general_election) to [1945](/source/1945_United_Kingdom_general_election).

Despite these regulations, the [royal prerogative](/source/Royal_prerogative_in_the_United_Kingdom) to dissolve Parliament within the bounds of law remained. Events of the 18th and 19th century reduced the monarch's personal power in politics in favour of that of his nominal advisor the [prime minister](/source/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom), such that by the 19th century prime ministers had a great deal of *de facto* control over the timing of general elections. The handing of such power to the prime minister was a convention rather than any formal law, and the monarch could (and, since the repeal of the FTPA, can) in theory refuse to grant such a request; the [Lascelles Principles](/source/Lascelles_Principles) formulated in 1950 outline the possible scenarios in which such a refusal would likely be made.

The statutory lifespan referred to the lifetime of the parliament and not to the interval between general elections. For example, while John Major's government lasted four years, eleven months and two days; the period between the general elections of [1992](/source/1992_United_Kingdom_general_election) and [1997](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election) was five years and twenty-two days.[10] No parliament in practice ever reached this milestone outside of the World Wars, as it was always dissolved before its expiry.[11] The longest Parliament preceding the FTPA, other than during wartime, was the [51st Parliament](/source/List_of_MPs_elected_in_the_1992_United_Kingdom_general_election) (1992–1997), which lasted four years, eleven months and two days.[12]

The lack of a fixed parliamentary term allowed for the prime minister to decide when to hold an election solely on partisan grounds; it was also criticised for creating uncertainty before the calling of an election when such a calling was anticipated.[13]

## Main parties' views

Until [2010](/source/2010_United_Kingdom_general_election) the [Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK))'s manifesto made no mention of fixed-term Parliaments. The [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) manifesto for 2010 said that it would introduce fixed-term Parliaments, but did not say how long they would be. The [Liberal Democrat](/source/Liberal_Democrats_(UK)) manifesto for 2010 included a pledge to introduce four-year fixed-term Parliaments. The 2010 election resulted in a [hung Parliament](/source/Hung_Parliament), with the Conservatives having 306 MPs and the Liberal Democrats 57 MPs. The two parties negotiated a coalition agreement to form a government, and a commitment to legislate for fixed-term Parliaments was included in the coalition deal.[13] The journalist [John Rentoul](/source/John_Rentoul) has suggested that one of the subsequent coalition government's motives for passing the legislation was a concern about its own potential instability. In this view the legislation was intended to make it difficult for either coalition partner to force an early election and bring the government down.[14]

## Provisions

Section 3(1)[15] of the act originally stated[16] that Parliament should be automatically dissolved seventeen [working days](/source/Working_day) before the polling day of a [general election](/source/Elections_in_the_United_Kingdom). This was subsequently amended by the [Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013](/source/Electoral_Registration_and_Administration_Act_2013) to twenty-five working days. Section 1 of the FTPA provided for the polling day to occur on the first Thursday in May of the fifth year after the previous general election, starting with 7 May 2015.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

The Prime Minister was given the power to postpone this date by up to two months by laying a draft statutory instrument before the House proposing that polling day occur up to two months later than that date. If the use of such a statutory instrument were approved by each House of Parliament, the Prime Minister had the power, by order made by statutory instrument under section 1(5), to provide that polling day occurs accordingly.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Section 2 of the FTPA also provided for two ways in which a general election could be held before the end of this five-year period:[17]

- If the [House of Commons](/source/House_of_Commons_of_the_United_Kingdom) resolved "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government" (a [motion of no confidence](/source/Motions_of_no_confidence_in_the_United_Kingdom)), an early general election would be held, unless the House of Commons subsequently resolved "That this House has confidence in Her Majesty's Government". This second resolution must be made within fourteen days of the first. This provision recognised that in a [hung parliament](/source/Hung_parliament) it might be possible for a new government to be formed, commanding a majority.

- If the House of Commons, with the support of two-thirds of its total membership (including vacant seats), resolved "That there shall be an early parliamentary general election".

In either of these two cases, the Monarch (on the recommendation of the Prime Minister) appointed the date of the new election by proclamation. Parliament was then dissolved 25 working days before that date.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Apart from the automatic dissolution in anticipation of a general election, whether held early or not, section 3(2) provided that "Parliament cannot otherwise be dissolved". The FTPA thus removed the traditional royal prerogative to [dissolve Parliament](/source/Dissolution_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom),[18] and repealed the Septennial Act 1715 as well as references in other Acts to the royal prerogative. The royal prerogative to [prorogue](/source/Prorogation_in_the_United_Kingdom) Parliament – that is, to end a [parliamentary session](/source/Parliamentary_session) – was not affected by the FTPA.[19]

### Review

Under section 7(4)–(6) of the FTPA the Prime Minister was obliged to establish a committee to review the operation of the FTPA and to make recommendations for its amendment or repeal, if appropriate. The committee was required to be established between 1 June and 30 November 2020, and the majority of its members must be members of the House of Commons. On 10 November 2020, the House of Commons ordered the establishment of a Joint Committee pursuant to the FTPA and appointed the Commons members of the Committee.[20]

## Debate

When introducing the Bill that became the FTPA into the House of Commons, [Nick Clegg](/source/Nick_Clegg), then Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the [Liberal Democrats](/source/Liberal_Democrats_(UK)), said that "by setting the date that Parliament will [be] dissolve[d], our Prime Minister is giving up the right to pick and choose the date of the next general election—that's a true first in British politics."[21]

The government initially indicated that an "enhanced majority" of 55 per cent of MPs would be needed to trigger a dissolution, but this did not become part of the FTPA. Instead, the FTPA contained the two-thirds requirement.[22]

Proposed amendments that would have limited the fixed term to four years, backed by [Labour](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)), [Plaid Cymru](/source/Plaid_Cymru) and the [SNP](/source/Scottish_National_Party), were defeated.[23]

Section 4 of the FTPA postponed the [Scottish Parliament election](/source/Scottish_Parliament_election) that would have been held on 7 May 2015, moving the election day to 5 May 2016 to avoid it coinciding with the general election in the United Kingdom.[24]

## Critiques

### Views of legal specialists

Robert Blackburn KC, a professor of constitutional law, stated that "the status and effect of a no-confidence motion remains largely as it was prior to the Act".[25] Alastair Meeks, however, a lawyer writing on the [PoliticalBetting.com](/source/PoliticalBetting.com) website, argued that, as well as removing the Prime Minister's ability to set an election date at a time of their choosing, the FTPA significantly affected the [British constitution](/source/British_constitution). It removed the ability of the Prime Minister to make a vote on a policy a matter of confidence in the government, a tool that minority governments and governments with small majorities have used to ensure that legislation is passed in the House of Commons. This put such governments at risk of remaining in power without an adequate ability to legislate, increasing the necessity of coalition government.[3]

[David Allen Green](/source/David_Allen_Green), a lawyer and journalist, and Andrew Blick, a legal academic, argued that the FTPA changed little in practice, since the Prime Minister could still, so long as a sufficient portion of the [Opposition](/source/Her_Majesty's_Most_Loyal_Opposition_(United_Kingdom)) agreed, schedule an [election at their pleasure](/source/Snap_election).[26][27] Blick also argued that the use of a [supermajority](/source/Supermajority) requirement for the House of Commons, which is very rare in UK law, represented a move towards [entrenched clauses](/source/Entrenched_clause) in the UK Constitution.[28]

In 2017 Blick argued alongside [Graham Allen](/source/Graham_Allen_(politician)), who chaired the [House of Commons Select Committee on Political and Constitutional Reform](/source/Political_and_Constitutional_Reform_Select_Committee) during passage of the FTPA, that the FTPA had failed "to deliver on one of its main stated purposes ... to reduce the discretion possessed by the Prime Minister in being able to determine the date of general elections". Allen and Blick argued, however, that this was an "admirable objective" and proposed that instead of being repealed the FTPA should be amended to provide additional safeguards.[29]

### Views of politicians

During the passage of the FTPA, Graham Allen stated on second reading that his committee had not received ample notice for adequate scrutiny of the Bill and that there were "so many flaws in the Bill's drafting".[30] It was also reported that Allen was critical that the committee had not had sufficient time to consider whether a four-year term would have been more appropriate than the five-year term stipulated in the FTPA.[31] While he was still Chair of the Select Committee on Political and Constitutional Reform,[32] Allen wrote an essay in favour of codifying all the prerogative powers, and referred to his experience in challenging the prerogative powers of war.[33]

### Views of political scientists

According to one political scientist, [Colin Talbot](/source/Colin_Talbot), the FTPA made [minority governments](/source/Minority_governments) more stable than in the past, since events that previously might have forced a government out of power—such as [defeat of a Queen's Speech](/source/State_Opening_of_Parliament#Debate_on_the_speech) or other important legislation, [loss of supply](/source/Loss_of_supply), or a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister rather than the government as a whole—cannot formally do so.[34]

[Lord Norton](/source/Philip_Norton), a Conservative political scientist, argued that the FTPA significantly limited the Prime Minister's ability to obtain an early election, since the Opposition could prevent an election by voting against it.[35] This was borne out in 2019, as the Opposition blocked Prime Minister [Boris Johnson](/source/Boris_Johnson)'s attempt to hold early elections on several occasions.[36] An Act of Parliament for an early election (the [Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019](/source/Early_Parliamentary_General_Election_Act_2019)) was then passed, with Opposition support, by a simple majority.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

### Evidence to the House of Lords Constitution Committee (2019)

In September 2019 Junade Ali advised in written evidence to the [House of Lords](/source/House_of_Lords) [Constitution Committee](/source/Constitution_Committee) that repeal of the FTPA should be pursued on the basis that, as [A. V. Dicey](/source/A._V._Dicey) noted, dissolution allows for the executive to appeal to the nation if it feels the House of Commons is no longer supported by the electors, allowing for the resolution of unforeseen constitutional crises by the electorate.[37] Ali argued that "The very legislative chamber subject to dissolution being, in all circumstances, required to consent to such dissolution removes essential oversight in a sovereign Parliament that can make or unmake any law whatsoever".[38] Ali reiterated his argument that even if the FTPA had codified prorogation powers, the executive could instead seek refusal of [Royal Assent](/source/Royal_Assent) until an early election was called, which, Ali argues, "would likely cause far greater constitutional outrage" and codification would "threaten to transform political into constitutional crises"[39] This view was supported in a submission by Robert Craig, who stated: "The main justification for the Act appears to reside in an erroneous view that the political power to call an election is inappropriate in a political constitution."[40]

### Joint Committee on the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act (2020–21)

A cross-party parliamentary Joint Committee on the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, including 14 members of the Commons and 6 peers, was established on 27 November 2020 to review the operation of the Act and make recommendations as to its repeal or amendment.[41] Its report, published on 24 March 2021, concluded that the Act was flawed in several respects: the supermajority requirement imposed by the Act, the committee argued, risks "parliamentary gridlock" and "lacks credibility", as shown by the special legislation passed to circumvent the Act in 2019; the Act unduly circumscribed the powers of the Leader of the Opposition to bring forward motions of no confidence and of the government to declare issues to be matters of confidence; finally, the Act's definition of the 14-day period following successful motions of no confidence was unsatisfactory and may have allowed a government to force an election even in cases where an alternative government could be formed from the existing Parliament.[42] The chair of the committee, Conservative [Lord McLoughlin](/source/Lord_McLoughlin), described the FTPA as "likely to be a short-lived constitutional experiment".[43]

## Implementation

### Election held after a full five-year term on date fixed by section 1 of the FTPA

Further information: [2015 United Kingdom general election](/source/2015_United_Kingdom_general_election)

The 2015 general election held on 7 May 2015 was the only use of the FTPA to dictate the date of a general election.[44]

### Election held after a two-thirds Commons majority for dissolution by section 2(1) of the FTPA

Further information: [2017 United Kingdom general election](/source/2017_United_Kingdom_general_election)

On 18 April 2017, Prime Minister [Theresa May](/source/Theresa_May) announced her intention to call a general election for 8 June 2017, bringing the United Kingdom's 56th Parliament to an end after two years and 32 days. The FTPA permitted this, but required two-thirds of the Commons (at least 434 MPs) to support the motion to allow it to be passed.[45] [Jeremy Corbyn](/source/Jeremy_Corbyn), then the [Leader of the Opposition](/source/Leader_of_the_Opposition_(UK)) and the [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) indicated that he was in support of an election. The motion was passed the following day by 522 votes to 13 votes.[46]

As the FTPA required that general elections take place on the first Thursday in May, the date of the [next general election](/source/2019_United_Kingdom_general_election) after the 2017 election (assuming that no earlier elections were called) would have been 5 May 2022, meaning that the term would have been one month short of five years.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

### Motions that did not result in an election

Main article: [Motions of no confidence in the United Kingdom](/source/Motions_of_no_confidence_in_the_United_Kingdom)

#### 2018 proposed motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister

On 17 December 2018, the [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) tabled a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister, Theresa May. As this was not a motion of no confidence in Her Majesty's Government in the form set out in the FTPA, its passing would not have resulted in a general election being called. Arguing that this would have no effect because of the FTPA, May was able to call it a stunt and deny it any time for debate.[47]

The [SNP](/source/Scottish_National_Party), the [Liberal Democrats](/source/Liberal_Democrats_(UK)), [Plaid Cymru](/source/Plaid_Cymru) and the [Green Party](/source/Green_Party_of_England_%26_Wales) submitted an amendment to the motion that, if passed, would have changed the motion to meet the requirements of the FTPA. The government subsequently announced that the motion would not be given parliamentary time.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

The following day, 18 December 2018, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party tabled a new motion of no confidence in the Government in the form set down in the FTPA. This was the first such motion to be tabled under the terms of the FTPA.[48]

#### 2019 motion of no confidence in the government

Main article: [2019 vote of confidence in the May ministry](/source/2019_vote_of_confidence_in_the_May_ministry)

[Jeremy Corbyn](/source/Jeremy_Corbyn), then the [Leader of the Opposition](/source/Leader_of_the_Opposition_(UK)), tabled a motion of no confidence in [Her Majesty's Government](/source/Her_Majesty's_Government) on 15 January 2019, after the House of Commons rejected Theresa May's draft agreement on [Brexit](/source/Brexit).[49] [Ian Blackford](/source/Ian_Blackford), the Westminster leader of the [SNP](/source/Scottish_National_Party) supported the decision.[50] The motion failed, the ayes having 306 and the noes 325.[51] [Nigel Dodds](/source/Nigel_Dodds), Westminster leader of the [DUP](/source/Democratic_Unionist_Party), which had a [confidence and supply agreement](/source/Conservative%E2%80%93DUP_agreement) with the government, expressed the opinion that it was in the national interest for his party to support the government in the motion.[52]

#### 2019 motions for a general election

[Boris Johnson's government](/source/First_Johnson_ministry) attempted three times to call an early general election by means of section 2(2) of the FTPA. Each motion achieved a simple majority, but did not meet the two-thirds requirement because opposition parties abstained. Eventually Parliament passed the [Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019](/source/Early_Parliamentary_General_Election_Act_2019).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

#### First motion

On 3 September 2019, the government tabled a motion under the FTPA to trigger an early general election, requiring the votes of two-thirds of MPs. However, Labour refused to support the motion until legislation to delay a [no-deal Brexit](/source/No-deal_Brexit) had been passed.[53] On 4 September, there were 298 votes for the motion and 56 against, with 288 abstentions, well short of the two-thirds supermajority required.[36] On 6 September, four opposition parties – Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP and Plaid Cymru – agreed not to support any parliamentary vote for a general election until after the next [meeting of the European Council](/source/List_of_European_Council_meetings), which was scheduled for 17–18 October 2019.[54]

#### Second motion

On 9 September, another motion for an early election was tabled by the government. It failed by 293 votes to 46, with 303 abstentions[55][56][57][58]

Parliament was [prorogued](/source/Prorogation) on the same day, until 14 October.[59] The prorogation [was later deemed unlawful](/source/2019_British_prorogation_controversy) by the [Supreme Court](/source/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_Kingdom) and proceedings were resumed on 25 September.[60][61][62]

#### Third motion

On 24 October 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his intention to call a general election via a motion under the FTPA to be tabled on 28 October.[63] Jeremy Corbyn, then Leader of the Opposition, indicated that he would support an election only if Johnson pledged to take a no-deal Brexit off the table.[64] On 28 October, the motion failed despite a vote of 299 to 70 because mass abstentions by the opposition prevented the forming of the two-thirds majority required under the FTPA.[65][66]

No further motions under the FTPA were attempted in the 2017–19 Parliament, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced the [Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019](/source/Early_Parliamentary_General_Election_Act_2019) to the House of Commons on the same day, which triggered an election after it was passed.

## Circumvention in the 2019 general election

Further information: [2019 United Kingdom general election](/source/2019_United_Kingdom_general_election)

The [Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019](/source/Early_Parliamentary_General_Election_Act_2019) was introduced on 29 October 2019 by Boris Johnson[67] following the failure to secure an election by a two-thirds majority the previous day. The bill was fast-tracked through the House of Commons on the same day it was introduced,[68] the following day [Baroness Evans of Bowes Park](/source/Baroness_Evans_of_Bowes_Park) ([Leader of the House of Lords](/source/Leader_of_the_House_of_Lords)) introduced the bill in the House of Lords and it received its First Reading. The bill completed all stages the following day (30 October) without amendment and was presented to [the Queen](/source/Elizabeth_II) for [royal assent](/source/Royal_assent). In accordance with the [Royal Assent Act 1967](/source/Royal_Assent_Act_1967), at 4:27 PM on 31 October, royal assent was notified to the House of Lords and notified in the House of Commons at 4:35 PM.[69] The bill became law within three days from introduction to royal assent, an uncommonly short time.[70][71]

The act circumvented the FTPA to provide for a general election on 12 December:

**1 Early parliamentary general election**

- (1) An early parliamentary general election is to take place on 12 December 2019 in consequence of the passing of this Act.

- (2) That day is to be treated as a polling day appointed under section 2(7) of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.[72]

At 12:01 AM on 6 November, Parliament was dissolved, as the FTPA required that dissolution must happen 25 days before a general election with all seats in the House of Commons becoming vacant.[73]

The 2019 act referred to the FTPA but did not amend it. The FTPA remained in force unaltered until its repeal in 2022; the effect of the 2019 act was only to interrupt its operation. The two acts did not legally conflict, owing to the British constitutional principle of [parliamentary sovereignty](/source/Parliamentary_sovereignty), that Parliament has "the right to make or unmake any law whatever", and constitutional laws are of no different status.[74][75]

## Other effects

In 2016, in the wake of the [Panama Papers](/source/Panama_Papers) scandal, a petition was created on the [Parliament petitions website](/source/UK_Parliament_petitions_website) that called for a [general election](/source/Uk_general_election) after Prime Minister [David Cameron](/source/David_Cameron) revealed that he had had investments in an offshore trust.[76] After the petition had passed the threshold of 100,000 signatures, the [government](/source/Government_of_the_United_Kingdom) response cited the Fixed-term Parliaments Act in its reply, and stated that "no Government can call an early general election any more anyway".[77]

In 2017, the journalist [John Rentoul](/source/John_Rentoul) writing in *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)* newspaper argued that the Fixed-term Parliaments Act indirectly caused the election loss of [Theresa May](/source/Theresa_May)'s majority in the 2017 election. Technicalities made her choose an election campaign of seven weeks, 2–3 weeks longer than usual, which, Rentoul argued, lost her the majority.[14]

Losing the [parliamentary vote that follows a speech from the throne](/source/State_Opening_of_Parliament#Debate_on_the_speech) (also known as a King's or Queen's Speech) has traditionally been seen as having the same consequences for a government as losing a vote of no confidence. Although this was not the case under the Act, the consequences of losing a vote on the Queen's speech were still considered significant. Theresa May delayed the Queen's speech that was expected in spring 2019, partly as a result of concerns about the prospects for winning a parliamentary vote on it.[78]

## Repeal

### Proposals for repeal and replacement

The Conservative Party manifesto at the 2017 general election proposed repealing the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.[79] However, Theresa May's government failed to win a House of Commons majority at that election and did not attempt to repeal the act.[80] The Conservative Party reiterated the commitment to repeal the act in its manifesto for the [December 2019 election](/source/2019_United_Kingdom_general_election), at which it won a majority. The manifesto stated that the Act "has led to paralysis at a time the country needed decisive action".[5][81] The first [Queen's Speech](/source/Queen's_Speech) following the election confirmed that "work will be taken forward to repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act".[82]

Lord Norton of Louth had commented in 2016 that repealing the Act would require a new [Act of Parliament](/source/Act_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)), and that if the duration of parliaments was to be limited, arrangements for this would need to be included in the new Act because the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 had repealed pre-existing legislation governing the duration of parliaments.[18]

#### 2020 private member's bill

After the December 2019 election, on 3 February 2020, a [private member's bill](/source/Private_member's_bill) to repeal and replace the FTPA was introduced in the [House of Lords](/source/House_of_Lords) by Conservative peer [Lord Mancroft](/source/Benjamin_Mancroft%2C_3rd_Baron_Mancroft). The bill would have established five-year parliaments, the next election to be on 2 May 2024, unless an early election is called by royal proclamation dissolving Parliament. This would have substantially restored the position before the FTPA. Additionally, the bill would have confirmed that the monarch has power to prorogue Parliament until a time of the monarch's choosing. Under the bill, the monarch's actions, and government advice to the monarch about those actions, would not have been justiciable. A second reading was not scheduled for the bill, which failed with the prorogation of Parliament on 29 April 2021.[83]

### Proposals for reform

Since the Act abolished the old prerogative powers, for example the royal power of dissolution, some legal experts such as Raphael Hogarth argued that it would not be possible simply to revive them even if that were desired. The Act might instead have been reformed, in particular to specify what steps should occur during what has been called the "messy fortnight" after a motion under the Act is passed and to clarify whether pre-existing types of vote amounting to no confidence, such as rejection of the Budget, continued to require a government's resignation.[84]

This position was rejected in 2020 by the government, which opted to explicitly revive the royal prerogative in its draft legislation repealing the Act.[85] Whether this would in fact constitute a restoration of the prerogative or the creation of a new statutory power is debated by legal experts, with former [Supreme Court](/source/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_Kingdom) judges [Baroness Hale](/source/Baroness_Hale) and [Lord Sumption](/source/Lord_Sumption) arguing that the prerogative could be revived, constitutional law professor Anne Twomey that it could not, and [Stephen Laws](/source/Stephen_Laws), a former [First Parliamentary Counsel](/source/Office_of_the_Parliamentary_Counsel_(United_Kingdom)), stating that "if Parliament wants the power to be the same as it was before 2011, then it is the duty of the courts to see it as such".[86]

### Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022

Main article: [Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022](/source/Dissolution_and_Calling_of_Parliament_Act_2022)

The government published on 1 December 2020, for consideration by the parliamentary Joint Committee on the FTPA, a draft Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (Repeal) Bill which would repeal and replace the FTPA.[6] The draft, accompanied by a statement of the underlying principles, provides for revival of the royal prerogative powers as to dissolution of parliament and summoning of a new parliament "as if the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 had never been enacted", with the effect of restoring maximum five-year parliaments. It adds (which is new) that a court "may not question" (a) the "exercise or purported exercise" of those powers, (b) "any decision or purported decision relating to those powers" or (c) "the limits or extent of those powers".[85] Retitled the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill, it was announced formally in the Queen's Speech of 11 May 2021 and introduced to Parliament the following day.[87][88] The Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act was granted royal assent on 24 March 2022, repealing the Fixed Term Parliaments Act and the [Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019](/source/Early_Parliamentary_General_Election_Act_2019) as part of the act's provisions.[7]

## See also

- [Elections Act 2022](/source/Elections_Act_2022)

- [Legislative session](/source/Legislative_session)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Section 7(1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Section 7(2).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Labour fears Johnson is preparing for a 2023 election"](https://www.ft.com/content/9daf5278-e8cc-48f3-b690-b250a3b99e3b). *Financial Times*. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022. The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011 introduced by David Cameron's coalition government removed the longstanding power of the prime minister to call a general election and instead created what should normally be a five-year period between polls.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Is axing fixed-term parliaments a good idea?"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56297664). *BBC News*. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022. In 2011, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act (FTPA) set the length of time between general elections at five years - and transferred the power to call an early election from the prime minister to MPs.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Meeks_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Meeks_5-1) Alastair Meeks (5 May 2015). ["New Rules. Britain's Changing Constitution"](http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2019/05/05/new-rules-britains-changing-constitution/). *PoliticalBetting.com*. Retrieved 27 June 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Strengthen Our Hand in Europe? No, a Landslide for May Would Weaken It"](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/02/europe-landslide-victory-theresa-may-brexit). *The Guardian*. 2 May 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Con_Man_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Con_Man_7-1) ["Get Brexit Done: the Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2019"](https://assets-global.website-files.com/5da42e2cae7ebd3f8bde353c/5dda924905da587992a064ba_Conservative%202019%20Manifesto.pdf) (PDF). *Conservative and Unionist Party*. p. 48. Retrieved 24 November 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FTPArepeal_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FTPArepeal_8-1) ["Government to fulfil manifesto commitment and scrap Fixed-term Parliaments Act"](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-fulfil-manifesto-commitment-and-scrap-fixed-term-parliaments-act). *gov.uk*. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_9-1) Blewett, Sam (11 May 2021). ["A brief look at the Bills included in the Queen's Speech"](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/boris-johnson-bills-prime-minister-dominic-cummings-care-b934461.html). *[Evening Standard](/source/Evening_Standard)*. Retrieved 11 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Kelly, Richard (28 March 2022). ["Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022: Progress through Parliament"](https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9308/). *House of Commons Library*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["An Essay on the Origin of the House of Commons"](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015030493780&view=1up&seq=10). Retrieved 5 May 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ftpbcc-c3_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ftpbcc-c3_12-1) Fixed-term Parliaments Bill - Constitution Committee. ["CHAPTER 3: The length of the parliamentary term and election timing"](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldselect/ldconst/69/6905.htm). *www.parliament.uk*. Retrieved 14 December 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Anthony Wilfred Bradley, Keith D. Ewing (2006). [*Constitutional and Administrative Law*](https://books.google.com/books?id=HT_GS2zgN5QC&pg=PA187). Pearson Education. pp. 187–189. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4058-1207-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4058-1207-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Wood, Richard (26 October 2017). ["7 Longest-Lasting British Parliaments – When Will This One End?"](https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/10/28/7-longest-lasting-british-parliaments-how-long-will-this-one-las/). *HITC*. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bbcqa_15-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bbcqa_15-1) ["Q&A: Fixed-Term Parliaments"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11286879). *BBC News*. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Indy170617_16-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Indy170617_16-1) John Rentoul (17 June 2017). ["How George Osborne and David Cameron Lost the Election for Theresa May"](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/how-george-osborne-lost-the-election-for-theresa-may-a7787726.html). *The Independent*. Retrieved 4 May 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/section/3) (section 3). UK Parliament. 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** [Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011](http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/enacted). UK Parliament. 2011. (as originally enacted)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Scot Peterson (25 October 2016). ["Some Think Theresa May Should Call a General Election. Here's Why She Can't"](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/25/theresa-may-call-general-election-fixed-term-parliaments-act-brexit). *The Guardian*. UK. Retrieved 26 October 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Norton_20-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Norton_20-1) Lord Norton of Louth (8 October 2016). ["Repealing the Fixed-term Parliaments Act?"](https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2016/10/08/repealing-the-fixed-term-parliaments-act/). *The Norton View*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** Joe Marshall (8 April 2019). ["Proroguing Parliament"](https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/proroguing-parliament). *The Institute for Government*. Retrieved 13 May 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["Joint Committee on the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act - Hansard"](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-11-10/debates/2EF65043-F6D6-4BC0-9460-39E84EDC7039/JointCommitteeOnTheFixed-TermParliamentsAct). *hansard.parliament.uk*. Retrieved 17 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** ["AV Referendum Question Published"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10729454). *BBC News*. 22 July 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** [George Eaton](/source/George_Eaton_(journalist)) (12 May 2010). ["Fixed-term Parliaments Won't Prevent a Second Election"](http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/05/government-fixed-election). *New Statesman*. London. Retrieved 24 March 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** ["Four-year Fixed-term Parliament Bid Defeated"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11771309). *BBC News*. 16 November 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** ["Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, section 4"](http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/section/4/enacted). legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** ["Oral evidence - Status of resolutions of the House of Commons - 23 Oct 2018 Q100"](http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/status-of-resolutions-of-the-house-of-commons/oral/91939.html). *data.parliament.uk*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** Green, David Allen (18 April 2017). ["The Fixed-term Parliaments Act has failed"](https://www.ft.com/content/17eda04e-ea24-359a-8c7e-d0caed79cb5e). *Financial Times*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-29)** Blick, Andrew (17 May 2017). ["Good Idea, Bad Outcome: Whatever Happened to Fixed-Term Parliaments?"](https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/whatever-happened-to-fixed-term-parliaments). London School of Economics and Political Science.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-30)** Blick, Andrew (2016). "Constitutional Implications of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011". *Parliamentary Affairs*. **69** (1): 19–35. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/pa/gsv004](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fpa%2Fgsv004). The UK has no written constitution. Yet entrenchment in some forms has had a part in UK constitutional conceptions. Moreover, in recent times this role has grown. Some precedent for supermajorities, for instance, has appeared through the provision in section 2 of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 for early general elections following support from two-thirds or more of MPs.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-31)** Blick, Andrew; Allen, Graham (12 July 2017). ["Protecting Even Prime Ministers from Themselves: Why Fixed-Term Parliaments Seem a Good Idea"](https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/why-fixed-term-parliaments-seem-a-good-idea/). *British Politics and Policy at LSE*. London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 24 December 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-32)** ["Fixed-term Parliaments Bill - Hansard"](https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2010-09-13/debates/10091315000001/Fixed-TermParliamentsBill#contribution-10091325000018). *Hansard.parliament.uk*. Retrieved 24 December 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-33)** ["Five-year parliaments 'too long'"](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-11261030). BBC. BBC News. 10 September 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-34)** Allen, Graham (28 May 2015). ["The UK government says no to democratic reform"](https://blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/the-uk-government-says-no-to-democratic-reform/). *Oxford University Politics Blog*. Retrieved 17 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-35)** Haseler, Stephen; Allen, Graham (2014). *A Federal Constitution for a Federal Britain*. London: Federal Reform Foundation. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1326112714](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1326112714).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-talbot20150503_36-0)** [Talbot, Colin](/source/Colin_Talbot) (3 May 2015). ["Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, a Minority Government Doesn't Need a 'Confidence and Supply' Arrangement to Be Able to Govern"](http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/under-the-fixed-term-parliaments-act-a-minority-government-doesnt-need-a-confidence-and-supply-arrangement-to-be-able-to-govern/). London School of Economics. Retrieved 3 May 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-37)** Lord Norton of Louth (18 April 2017). ["We Need to Talk about the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011 to Understand Theresa May's Election Plans"](https://www.psa.ac.uk/psa/news/we-need-talk-about-fixed-term-parliaments-act-2011-understand-theresa-mays-election-plans). *Political Studies Association*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NoGenElec_38-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NoGenElec_38-1) ["Boris Johnson's Call for General Election Rejected by MPs"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49584907). *BBC News*. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-39)** Kirby, James (2019). ["A. V. Dicey and English constitutionalism"](https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/279578). *History of European Ideas*. **45** (1): 33–46. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/01916599.2018.1498012](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F01916599.2018.1498012). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0191-6599](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0191-6599). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [149849188](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:149849188).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-40)** Ali, Junade (26 September 2019). ["Junade Ali – written evidence (FPA0011)"](http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/constitution-committee/fixedterm-parliaments-act-2011/written/105791.pdf) (PDF). *House of Lords Constitution Committee*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-41)** Ali, Junade (24 September 2019). ["The Fixed Term Parliament Act: A Recipe for Constitutional Crisis and Prorogation?"](https://blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/the-fixed-term-parliament-act-a-recipe-for-constitutional-crisis-and-prorogation). *Oxford University Political Blog*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-42)** Craig, Robert (7 October 2019). ["Robert Craig, University of Bristol – written evidence (FPA0013)"](http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/constitution-committee/fixedterm-parliaments-act-2011/written/106415.pdf) (PDF). House of Lords Constitution Committee. Retrieved 26 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-43)** ["Joint Committee on the Fixed-term Parliaments Act established: Lord McLoughlin elected as Chair, written evidence deadline Monday 4 January"](https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/491/joint-committee-on-the-fixedterm-parliaments-act/news/136739/joint-committee-on-the-fixedterm-parliaments-act-established-lord-mcloughlin-elected-as-chair-written-evidence-deadline-monday-4-january/). *parliament.uk*. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-44)** ["Joint Committee on the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act: Report"](https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/5190/documents/52402/default/). *parliament.uk*. 24 March 2021. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-LawGazette24-03-21_45-0)** Slingo, Jemma (24 March 2021). ["'Major flaws': parliamentary committee backs repeal of fixed-term act"](https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/major-flaws-parliamentary-committee-backs-repeal-of-fixed-term-act/5107912.article). *[The Law Society Gazette](/source/The_Law_Society_Gazette)*. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-46)** Uberoi, Elise; Kelly, Richard (14 January 2020). ["The Fixed-term Parliaments Act"](https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/the-fixed-term-parliaments-act/). *House of Commons Library*. Retrieved 11 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-47)** ["House of Commons Debate 5 July 2010 c 23"](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm100705/debtext/100705-0001.htm#10070511000001). Parliament of the United Kingdom. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-48)** ["General Election 2017"](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2017/apr/19/election-2017-theresa-may-mps-early-vote-politics-live). *The Guardian*. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-49)** ["Downing Street Rules Out Parliament Time for Corbyn's 'Stunt' No-Confidence Motion in May"](https://news.sky.com/story/downing-street-rules-out-parliament-time-for-corbyns-stunt-no-confidence-motion-in-may-11584524). 18 December 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-50)** Sean Morrison (19 December 2018). ["Brexit news latest: Opposition Parties Table Vote of No Confidence in Government"](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-news-latest-opposition-parties-table-no-confidence-motion-in-government-a4020981.html). *Evening Standard*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-51)** Sean Morrison (16 January 2019). ["What is a Vote of No Confidence? Could Jeremy Corbyn Spark a General Election after Brexit Deal Vote? How Does It Work?"](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/vote-of-no-confidence-could-jeremy-corbyn-spark-a-general-election-after-tomorrows-brexit-vote-a4040016.html). *London Evening Standard*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-52)** ["Ian Blackford Says SNP Will Back Jeremy Corbyn's No-Confidence Motion"](https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17360184.ian-blackford-says-snp-will-back-jeremy-corbyns-no-confidence-motion/). *Herald Scotsman*. 15 January 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-53)** ["May's Government Survives No-Confidence Vote"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46899466). *BBC News*. 16 January 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-54)** ["Supporting PM 'in the National Interest' Says Dodds Ahead of No-Confidence Vote"](https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2019-01-16/supporting-pm-in-the-national-interest-says-dodds-ahead-of-no-confidence-vote/). *ITV News*. 16 January 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-55)** ["Brexit: PM in New Battle after Commons Vote Defeat"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49574217). *BBC News*. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-56)** ["Brexit: Opposition Parties to Reject PM Election Move"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49609677). *BBC News*. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-57)** Diver, Tony; Sheridan, Danielle (9 September 2019). ["Brexit Latest News: Boris Johnson's Second Bid to Call General Election Fails as Parliament Prorogued"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/09/09/brexit-latest-news-boris-johnson-warned-senior-judges-trying/). *The Telegraph*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-58)** ["LIVE: Boris Johnson Fails for Second Time with Bid for Snap Election"](https://news.sky.com/story/live-boris-johnson-fails-for-second-time-with-bid-for-snap-election-11805412). *Sky News*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-59)** ["No Snap Election: MPs Reject Johnson's Demand for Second Time"](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/mps-reject-boris-johnsons-demand-snap-election-second-004900833.html). *uk.news.yahoo.com*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-60)** ["Boris Savages & Accuses Corbyn With Final Words Before Suspending Parliament For 5 Weeks"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191224042236/https://politicaluk.co.uk/2019/09/boris-savages-accuses-corbyn-with-final-words-before-suspending-parliament-for-5-weeks/). *politicaluk.co.uk*. Archived from [the original](https://politicaluk.co.uk/2019/09/boris-savages-accuses-corbyn-with-final-words-before-suspending-parliament-for-5-weeks/) on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-61)** ["Brexit: Boris Johnson's second attempt to trigger election fails"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49630094). *BBC News*. 10 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-62)** Bowcott, Owen; Quinn, Ben; Carrell, Severin (24 September 2019). ["Boris Johnson's Suspension of Parliament Unlawful, Supreme Court Rules"](https://www.theguardian.com/law/2019/sep/24/boris-johnsons-suspension-of-parliament-unlawful-supreme-court-rules-prorogue). *The Guardian*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-63)** Jarvis, Jacob (24 September 2019). ["Bercow Tells MPs to Return to Parliament Tomorrow Morning"](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/parliament-will-sit-tomorrow-at-1130am-john-bercow-says-a4244971.html). *Evening Standard*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-64)** Brennan, Paul (25 September 2019). ["UK Parliament Resumes After Prorogation Ruled Unlawful"](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/uk-parliament-resumes-prorogation-ruled-unlawful-190925155115983.html). *Al Jazeera*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-65)** Yorke, Harry (24 October 2019). ["Labour in Chaos as Jeremy Corbyn Refuses to Back Election Even If Brexit Delayed Until Jan. 31"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/10/24/jeremy-corbyn-refuses-back-election-no-deal-table/). *The Telegraph*. Retrieved 29 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-66)** Stewart, Heather; Boffey, Daniel (25 October 2019). ["Johnson Seeks 12 December Election After Shelving 'Do or Die' Brexit Pledge"](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/24/boris-johnson-to-ask-mps-to-back-pre-christmas-election). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 29 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-67)** ["MPs Reject 12 December Election Plan"](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50213548). *BBC News*. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-68)** Mason, Rowena (28 October 2019). ["Boris Johnson Fails in Third Attempt to Call Early General Election"](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/28/boris-johnson-third-attempt-general-election-fails). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 28 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-69)** ["Order Paper No.10: Part 1"](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201919/cmagenda/OP191029.pdf) (PDF). *House of Commons*. 29 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-70)** Newson, Nicola (30 October 2019). ["Early Parliamentary General Election Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages"](https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/LLN-2019-0144).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-71)** ["Royal Assent - Hansard"](https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2019-10-31/debates/E095C72C-6D9D-489F-BD54-CB67D51A195E/RoyalAssent). *hansard.parliament.uk*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-72)** ["Civil Partnership - Hansard"](https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2019-10-31/debates/6FAFCC9A-A3BD-4C59-9F61-956DF2E26E3A/CivilPartnership). *hansard.parliament.uk*. Retrieved 24 December 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-73)** ["Bill stages — Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019 — UK Parliament"](https://services.parliament.uk/Bills/2019-19/earlyparliamentarygeneralelection/stages.html). *services.parliament.uk*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-74)** ["Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019"](https://services.parliament.uk/Bills/2019-20/earlyparliamentarygeneralelection.html). *UK Parliament*. Retrieved 29 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-75)** ["Dissolution of Parliament - News from Parliament"](https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2019/november/the-house-has-dissolved/). *UK Parliament*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-76)** Ali, Junade (24 September 2019). ["The Fixed Term Parliament Act: A Recipe for Constitutional Crisis and Prorogation?"](https://blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/the-fixed-term-parliament-act-a-recipe-for-constitutional-crisis-and-prorogation/). *OxPol*. Oxford University.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-77)** Blick, Andrew (1 January 2016). ["Constitutional Implications of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011"](https://academic.oup.com/pa/article-abstract/69/1/19/2472855). *Parliamentary Affairs*. **69** (1): 19–35. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/pa/gsv004](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fpa%2Fgsv004). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0031-2290](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-2290). Retrieved 24 December 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-78)** ["Petition calls for General Election this year after David Cameron admission"](http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/08/petition-calls-for-general-election-this-year-after-david-cameron-admission-5804720/). *Metro*. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-79)** ["Hold a General Election in 2016"](http://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/122946). UK Parliament. Retrieved 14 June 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-80)** Nicholas Watt (29 April 2019). ["Theresa May 'unlikely' to hold another Queen's speech"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48097069). *BBC News*. Retrieved 17 July 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-81)** [Conservative Party 2017 manifesto](https://www.conservatives.com/manifesto) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191030184228/https://www.conservatives.com/manifesto) 30 October 2019 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), p. 43

1. **[^](#cite_ref-82)** ["Fixed-term Parliaments Act: What is it and why does it matter?"](https://www.theweek.co.uk/86039/fixed-term-parliaments-act-what-is-it-and-why-does-it-matter). *[The Week](/source/The_Week)*. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-83)** Kettle, Martin (12 December 2019). ["If the exit poll is right, this election will transform British politics"](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/12/exit-poll-election-boris-johnson-jeremy-corbyn-labour). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 13 December 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-84)** ["Full transcript: The Queen's Speech"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191219150849/https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/12/full-transcript-the-queens-speech/). *The Spectator*. 19 December 2019. Archived from [the original](https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/12/full-transcript-the-queens-speech/) on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FTPA_repeal_bill_85-0)** ["Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (Repeal) Bill \[HL\]"](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2609/news). *bills.parliament.uk*. Retrieved 2 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-86)** Hogarth, Raphael (27 November 2019). ["The FTPA is a bad law – but it should not be replaced with something worse"](https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/ftpa-should-not-be-replaced-something-worse?inf_contact_key=4c69800fd8648d1a4e9dcbd0a5badf857e470d92b8b75168d98a0b8cac0e9c09). *Institute for Government*. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-DraftRepealBill_87-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-DraftRepealBill_87-1) Cabinet Office (1 December 2020). ["Policy paper: Draft Fixed-term Parliaments Act (Repeal) Bill"](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-fixed-term-parliaments-act-repeal-bill). *gov.uk*. Retrieved 18 December 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-88)** Walker, Alex (19 February 2021). ["The Joint Committee on the Fixed-term Parliaments Act: an update"](https://consoc.org.uk/the-joint-committee-on-the-fixed-term-parliaments-act-an-update/). *The Constitution Society*. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-89)** ["Queen's Speech 2021: Key points at-a-glance"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56987630). [BBC News](/source/BBC_News). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-90)** ["Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill"](https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2859). *parliament.uk*. Retrieved 12 May 2021.

## Further reading

- Robert Blackburn (1989). "The summoning and meeting of new Parliaments in the United Kingdom". *Legal Studies*. **9** (2): 165–176. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1748-121X.1989.tb00392.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1748-121X.1989.tb00392.x). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [144040222](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:144040222).

## External links

- [Text of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/id?title=Fixed-term+Parliaments+Act+2011) as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from [legislation.gov.uk](/source/Legislation.gov.uk).

- [Text of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/id?title=Fixed-term+Parliaments+Act+2011) as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from [legislation.gov.uk](/source/Legislation.gov.uk).

- The full text of [Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Special:Search/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011) at Wikisource

v t e Electoral reform in the United Kingdom Representation of the People Acts Reform Acts England and Wales, 1832 Scotland, 1832 Ireland, 1832 England and Wales, 1867 Scotland, 1868 Ireland, 1868 1884 1918 1928 1948 1949 1969 1981 1983 1985 1989 1990 1991 1993 2000 Local government reform Pre-1990 Police burgh (Scotland, 1833) Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (England and Wales) Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 Local Government Act 1888 (England and Wales) London Government Act 1963 Local Government Act 1972 Local Government Act 1985 Local authorities in England Local Government Act 1992 Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 Greater London Authority Greater London Authority Act 1999 (mayor, assembly constituencies) Mayors for combined authorities Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 Police and crime commissioners Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 Local authorities in Scotland Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 Scottish Local Government (Elections) Act 2009 Local authorities in Wales Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 Local authorities in Northern Ireland Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 Constituencies reform United Kingdom Parliament Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832 Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1944 House of Commons (by Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020 Northern Ireland Parliament Government of Ireland Act 1920 House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929 Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 Scottish Parliament Scotland Act 1998 (constituencies) Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 Senedd Cymru Government of Wales Act 1998 (constituencies) Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 Northern Ireland Assembly Northern Ireland Act 1998 (constituencies) Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 Other related Acts Parliamentary Elections Act 1868 Ballot Act 1872 Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883 European Assembly Elections Act 1978 (repealed) Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 Electoral Administration Act 2006 Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (repealed) Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 Elections Act 2022 Ballot Secrecy Act 2023 Scotland Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Act 2025 Wales Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Act 2025 Northern Ireland Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 Related topics Chartism Unreformed House of Commons Rotten and pocket boroughs University constituency Women's suffrage Wales Historiography 2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum Elections in the United Kingdom Corrupt practices Boundary commissions Parliament in the Making Parliamentary franchise (1885–1918)

v t e United Kingdom legislation Pre-parliamentary legislation List of English statutes Charter of Liberties Magna Carta Acts of parliaments of states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain Parliament of England 1225–1267 1275–1307 1308–1325 Temp. incert. 1327–1376 1377–1397 1399–1411 1413–1421 1422–1460 1461 1463 1464 1467 1468 1472 1474 1477 1482 1483 1485 1487 1488 1491 1495 1496 1503 1509 1511 1512 1513 1514 1515 1523 1529 1530 1531 1532 1533 1534 1535 1536 1539 1540 1541 1542 1543 1545 1546 1547 1548 1549 1551 1553 1554 1555 1557 1558 1562 1566 1571 1572 1575 1580 1584 1586 1588 1592 1597 1601 1603 1605 1606 1609 1620 1623 1625 1627 Petition of Right 1640 Interregnum (1642–1660) 1660 1661 1662 1663 1664 1665 1666 1667 1670 1672 1675 1677 1678 1679 Habeas Corpus Act 1680 1685 1688 1689 Bill of Rights 1690 1691 1692 1693 1694 1695 1696 1697 1698 1700 1701 1702 1703 1704 1705 1706 Union with Scotland Act Parliament of Scotland 1424 1425 1426 1427 1428 1429 1431 1432 1433 1434 1436 1437 1438 1440 1443 1445 1449 1450 1451 1452 1454 1455 1456 1457 1466 1467 1468 1469 1471 1474 1475 1476 1478 1481 1482 1483 1485 1486 1487 1488 1489 1491 1493 1496 1503 1504 1509 1515 1522 1524 1525 1526 1528 1532 1535 1540 1542 1543 1545 1551 1555 1557 1558 1560 1563 1564 1567 1571 1572 1573 1578 1579 1581 1584 1585 1587 1592 1593 1594 1597 1600 1604 1606 1607 1609 1612 1617 1621 1633 Rescinded (1639–1651) 1661 1662 1663 1669 1670 1672 1673 1681 1685 1686 1689 Claim of Right 1690 1693 1695 1696 1698 1700 1701 1702 1703 1704 1705 1706 1707 Union with England Act Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain 1707 1708 1709 1710 1711 1712 1713 1714 1715 1716 1717 1718 1719 1720 1721 1722 1723 1724 1725 1726 1727 1728 1729 1730 1731 1732 1733 1734 1735 1736 1737 1738 1739 1740 1741 1742 1743 1744 1745 1746 1747 1748 1749 1750 1751 1753 1754 1755 1756 1757 1758 1759 1760 1761 1762 1763 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 1773 1774 1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 Acts of the Parliament of Ireland 1169–1192 1200–1299 1300–1399 1400–1499 1500–1599 1600–1690 1691–1700 1701–1710 1711–1720 1721–1730 1731–1740 1741–1750 1751–1760 1761–1770 1771–1780 1781–1790 1791–1800 Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Halsbury's Statutes Legislation.gov.uk Short titles relating to the EU (formerly EC) 1972 to date By session 42 (1·2·3·4·5) 43 (1·2) 44 (1·2·3·4) 45 (1·2·3·4) 46 47 (1·2·3·4·5) 48 (1·2·3·4) 49 (1·2·3·4) 50 (1·2·3·4·5) 51 (1·2·3·4·5) 52 (1·2·3·4) 53 (1·2·3·4) 54 (1·2·3·4·5) 55 (1·2·3·4) 56 (1·2) 57 (1·2) 58 (1·2·3·4) 59 (1) Church of England measures List Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 Legislation of devolved institutions Parliament of Northern Ireland List Northern Ireland Assembly (1973) List Scottish Parliament 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Senedd Cymru 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Northern Ireland Assembly 2000 2001 2002 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 2025 2026 Secondary legislation United Kingdom statutory instruments Order in Council List of Privy Council orders for Northern Ireland List Scottish statutory instruments Acts of Sederunt Acts of Adjournal Church of England instruments Welsh statutory instruments

Authority control databases: People UK Parliament

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.