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# Catching up with the rest of the democratic world
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/catching-up-with-the-rest-of-the-democratic-world/
- Published: 2008-01-22T14:01:14.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:39:09.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:31

**Anthony Barnett (London,** [**OK**](http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net/?ref=opendemocracy.net)**):** [Shane Greer](http://www.shanegreer.com/fixed-term-parliaments/326?ref=opendemocracy.net) is trying to learn to think and asks

But here's my question to advocates of fixed term parliaments: what is unfair, indeed undemocratic, about millions of voters going to the polls and expressing their desire to see the party in government returned for a further five years?

To which the answer is another question: What is democratic about millions of voters going to the polls who want to 'kick the buggers out' only to find that they are not because the buggers called a snap election at short notice in artificially created circumstances that favoured them and made people afraid of change? Those of us who support [Fixed Term](http://www.fixedterm.org.uk/?ref=opendemocracy.net) are not against elections! (Join the [Facebook group](http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6172997892).)