Policy background
- The Government considers it desirable to hold a general election on the date set out in the Act. The Government wishes to set out the date that the election will take place in legislation, in order to provide maximum transparency in relation thereto.
- It is a statutory requirement that Parliament must dissolve 25 working days before polling day. An election on 9 December 2019 would mean the House dissolving at one minute past midnight on Friday 1 November. This would require the Early Parliamentary General Election Act currently before the House to complete passage through the House of Commons and House of Lords and achieve Royal Assent on Thursday 31 October.
- All Parliamentary business planned that relies on the House sitting next week could not proceed, for example the election of a new Speaker on 4 November. The Government would also need to pass the Northern Ireland Budget Act before dissolution to ensure the NI Civil Service can access the funding it needs to deliver public services and proper governance in the continued absence of a functioning Executive.
- The 9 December would make the polling day a Monday and this places additional burdens on administrative preparations for polling stations and getting casual staff to work over the weekend. This could increase the cost of the election. In the modern era for elections there has never been a Monday election. It is also the case that a 9 December election could lead to two different voter registration deadlines across Scotland which could be confusing for Scottish electors.
