Margo calls for five-year parliaments

SCOTLAND should move from four to five-year, fixed-term parliaments in a bid to avoid clashes with UK votes, Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald said today.

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition at Westminster has provoked fury among Scots politicians by announcing it will stage a referendum on voting reform on 5 May next year, the same day as the Scottish Parliament elections, and hold the next UK general election on 7 May 2015, when the following Holyrood poll is due.

An offer from Scottish Secretary Michael Moore to allow the Scottish elections dates to be varied by a few months appears to have done little to soothe feelings.

Now, Ms MacDonald has written to Holyrood presiding officer Alex Fergusson, outlining her proposed resolution.

She said: "Since Westminster appears to be adamant they are going to stick to these two dates, I suggest a five-year, fixed-term Scottish Parliament.

"If they have a Westminster election or a referendum on the same day as our elections, it's not that people cannot cope with the complexity, but the publicity and the campaign would swamp Scottish considerations."