UK Prime Minister sets 2005 General Election date
{{date|April 5, 2005}}
[[Image:20020528-2 nato1-515h clip1.png|frame|right|There are only two days left for all remaining legislation to be passed.]]
The [[w:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]] [[w:Prime Minister|Prime Minister]], the Right Honourable [[w:Tony Blair|Tony Blair]] PC MP, at 09:00 UTC today formally requested the Queen to [[w:Dissolution of parliament|dissolve Parliament]] on April 11, thereby confirming May 5 to be the date for [[w:UK general election, 2005/06|the next General Election]].

Mr Blair had delayed the formal request for the dissolution of Parliament for 1 day, as a mark of respect for [[w:Pope John Paul II|Pope John Paul II]], who died on Saturday April 2.  All political parties had suspended campaiging for two days; and Mr Blair and other politicians had been attending services to mourn the death of the Pope.  

=== Timetable for the dissolution of Parliament ===
The wedding of His Royal Highness [[w:Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]] had previously been scheduled for Friday April 8, and hence Members of Parliament (Lords and Commons) would have not sat on that day and would have stopped sitting on Thursday April 7.  However, because of that subsequently being the date set for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, the wedding has been postponed to Saturday April 9.  

Members of Parliament (Lords and Commons) will thus stop sitting on Friday April 8.  This leaves just four days for all remaining legislation to be passed.  It is expected that some government bills will be simply dropped, to be reintroduced in the next Parliament if the [[w:Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] wins the General Election.

The last [[w:Prime Minister's Questions|Prime Minister's Question Time]] in the House of Commons is scheduled to be tomorrow, Wednesday April 6 at 11:00 UTC.

After the election, the new Parliament is scheduled to be summoned on Wednesday May 11.  Its first business will be the election of the Speaker and the swearing-in of members.  The State Opening of Parliament is scheduled to then be on Tuesday May 17.

=== General Election campaigns start ===
The calling of the General Election marks the formal beginning of the general election campaigns by the U.K. political parties, although in practice all three major parties have been actively campaigining for several weeks.  The [[w:Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] election slogan "Are you thinking what we're thinking?" was, for example, used by the party leader [[w:Michael Howard|Michael Howard]] in his response to the Budget report on March 16, 2005 and was launched by the Scottish Conservatives on March 10.

==Latest in this section==
{{UK election latest}}

== Related stories ==
* {{Wikinews|title=Pope John Paul II dies|date=April 2, 2005}}
* {{Wikinews|title=UK Chancellor of the Exchequer makes 2005 Budget speech|date=March 16, 2005}}
* {{Wikinews|title=Royal wedding delayed as Prince plans for Pope's funeral|date=April 4, 2005}}

== Sources ==
* {{source|
url=http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=120781|
author=|
title=Scottish Conservatives launch "Are you thinking what we're thinking?" election campaign|
pub=Conservative Party (UK)|
date=March 10, 2005}}
* {{source|
url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmwib/wb050330/ind.htm|
author=|
title=Weekly Information Bulletin|
pub=House of Commons|
date=March 30, 2005}}
* {{source|
url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmordbk2/50406o01.htm|
author=|
title=Oral Questions to the Prime Minister at 12 noon|
pub=House of Commons|
date=April 5, 2005}}
* {{source|
url=http://www.direct.gov.uk/Newsroom/NewsArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4023935&chk=fn8AhP|
author=|
title=General Election to take place on 5 May|
pub=Cabinet Office|
date=April 5, 2005}}

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{{archive}}
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Tony Blair]]
[[Category:Pope John Paul II]]
[[Category:UK Parliament]]
[[Category:UK House of Commons]]
[[Category:House of Lords]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Scottish Conservative Party]]
[[Category:Michael Howard]]

[[pl:Premier Wielkiej Brytanii ogłosił termin wyborów]]
There are only two days left for all remaining legislation to be passed.
The United Kingdom Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Tony Blair PC MP, at 09:00 UTC today formally requested the Queen to dissolve Parliament on April 11, thereby confirming May 5 to be the date for the next General Election.

Mr Blair had delayed the formal request for the dissolution of Parliament for 1 day, as a mark of respect for Pope John Paul II, who died on Saturday April 2.  All political parties had suspended campaiging for two days; and Mr Blair and other politicians had been attending services to mourn the death of the Pope.  

Members of Parliament (Lords and Commons) will thus stop sitting on Friday April 8.  This leaves just four days for all remaining legislation to be passed.  It is expected that some government bills will be simply dropped, to be reintroduced in the next Parliament if the Labour Party wins the General Election.

The last Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons is scheduled to be tomorrow, Wednesday April 6 at 11:00 UTC.

After the election, the new Parliament is scheduled to be summoned on Wednesday May 11.  Its first business will be the election of the Speaker and the swearing-in of members.  The State Opening of Parliament is scheduled to then be on Tuesday May 17.


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United Kingdom Politics and conflicts Elections Tony Blair Pope John Paul II UK Parliament UK House of Commons House of Lords Europe Scottish Conservative Party Michael Howard