Bethan Jenkins (Neath, AM): Last week I introduced a statement of opinion at the National Assembly for Wales calling on all AM's to support the call for fixed term Westminster elections. A statement of opinion, for those of you who are less aware of the goings on at the Assembly, is more or less the equivalent of an Early Day Motion in Parliament. My statement specifically calls on our Welsh Assembly Ministers to make representations to Westminster with regards to introducing fixed term elections for Parliament.
I believe that fixed term elections should be initiated because they would stabilise the democratic process, and would help us move away from the negative style of politics where all power lies in the hands of the Prime Minister - the ‘Presidential' style of governing which Tony Blair epitomised during his time at Westminster. Gordon Brown entered 10 Downing Street promising to share his ‘vision' with the British citizens, to restore power to Parliament, and to spearhead constitutional reform: but in action, these promises have faltered. He has returned to his regressive stance, highlighted clearly by his flip flopping over the snap General election - dismissing it at the last moment when the Tories were clearly making ground in the opinion polls. Politics should be about making a difference for our communities, not about whether an election will shore up support for a fledgling London Labour Government.
Here in Wales, as in many other countries, the Assembly election is a four year fixed term event. Time is not wasted waiting for one individual to choose a date, and power is not put in the hands of one person to make such a vital decision. It is predetermined, and all parties can prepare for an election on an equal footing. Smaller parties such as Plaid Cymru, of which I am a member, cannot magic financial backing for elections from the pockets of rich city donors. We need time to prepare fundraising initiatives to ensure that we can fight an election successfully. Allowing one person to decide when an election takes place, especially if it is a snap election, does not give us that opportunity.
The debate on fixed term elections has become far more high profile since key allies of Gordon Brown allegedly put feelers out at their last party Conference on the possibility of a snap election in the autumn. The media was subsequently dominated by stories of ‘will he, won't he?', placing far more pressing stories in the shade, such as the human rights violations in Burma, or the Northern Rock crisis closer to home. Many people have told me that I want to take the fun, the excitement, the drama out of politics by advocating fixed term elections to Parliament. But, quite frankly, it is only political anoraks that see the ‘fun' in one person deciding if there is to be an election or not - especially if that person is as uncharismatic as Gordon Brown! Surely the exciting part of an election is getting on the campaign trail, and that nail biting election night wait, anyway?
Our work as elected representatives is to get out there, and promote our policies at a grassroots level as opposed to wasting everyone's time debating about when an election will happen. We have until 2009 to wait for another General election...probably. I hope by then the case for fixed terms will be insurmountable.
