The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 set specific dates for general elections in the UK, usually every five years, reducing the Prime Minister’s power to call early elections. An election could only be triggered earlier if two-thirds of Parliament agreed or if the government lost a vote of no confidence and no new government was formed within 14 days. The Act aimed to provide stability and predictability in calling elections but was later repealed in 2022, returning to traditional Prime Minister-led election timings.