Fix Westminster's unfair system

THERE is growing speculation Gordon Brown may choose to go to the country on 15 April, conveniently holding the election before the release of the next set of GDP figures, which may show Britain's economy returning to what is mechanistically called negative growth.

Not only would this date avoid the potential embarrassment of having to explain why Britain's return to growth had been a temporary phenomenon, it would also allow Labour to exploit further allegations of Tory "sleaze", as the election could be called on the day after Lord Ashcroft gives evidence on his "non-dom" tax status to a Commons committee.

It is easy to see how such calculations will be going through the minds of Mr Brown and Labour strategists, and we cannot blame them for that because, as it stands, the unwritten constitution of this country allows the incumbent prime minister to select the election date.

Although picking the election date does not guarantee electoral success, it is obvious that this system gives the party in power an potential advantage, which is both unfair and anti-democratic.

There is an answer to this – and that is for Westminster to follow the precedent it set for devolved institutions such as the Scottish Parliament by moving to fixed-term system.

Mr Brown has said he is in favour of the idea but not, of course, this time around. It is too late for this election, but fixed-terms parliaments at Westminster would improve our democratic system.