THERE IS anger and concern among MPs over a Conservative/ Liberal Democrat requirement that the support of 55 per cent of MPs would be needed before an early election could be called.
Under the coalition agreement, the government is to last for five years and Prime Minister David Cameron has given up the right to call a snap election.
Fifty-five per cent of MPs would have to vote for a dissolution of parliament before an election could be called once legislation is passed through the House of Commons by the new government.
Former Labour minister David Blunkett said this was "a profoundly anti-democratic move" that would have left the Liberal Democrats "incandescent" if Labour had tried to force it through during its time in office.
Tory MPs privately expressed concern about the measure, saying it was an interference with the rights of parliament because governments had always fallen if they could not command a simple majority in confidence votes.
The threshold was set to offer comfort to the Liberal Democrats who feared that Mr Cameron, with 47 per cent of MPs on his side, would call an election at the first opportunity that suited him.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said it had been agreed that parliament would run for a fixed term. "Once you agree that there should be a fixed-term parliament, it is only fixed-term if there is some provision to really give it credibility to make it hard to dissolve parliament, other than exceptional circumstances, part way through its five-year term.
Under parliamentary rules, however, a vote of no confidence will still be passed if half of the MPs vote against the government, so there is potential for gridlock if Conservatives or Liberal Democrats stage a partial rebellion.
In Scotland, which already has fixed terms, a majority of 66 per cent of MPs is required - or a 28-day period when there is not enough support for a first minister to be elected - before an early election can be called. The Welsh assembly has similar rules.
Mr Cameron told civil servants he intends to end the practice of regular ministerial reshuffles, which left some departments coping with up to 10 ministers during Labour's years in power.
Cabinet members decided on a 5 per cent pay cut for themselves within minutes of meeting in Downing Street yesterday.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne emphasised that tackling the UK's deficit will be the government's major task, and that it will force difficult decisions on them. Home Secretary Theresa May said she will start work on the Conservatives' pledges to have elected police commissioners, and to place a cap on non-European Union immigrants.
But the level of the cap has not yet been decided. The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, have backed away from their desire for an amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Labour leadership favourite David Miliband, who may be challenged by his brother Ed, formally launched his campaign with visits to constituencies where Labour lost in last week's election.
He said he had spoken to his brother about the race: "We have obviously been talking about this. The most important thing for both of us is that the family remains strong and I'm absolutely confident that that's going to happen, whatever my brother decides."
Former justice secretary Jack Straw ruled himself out of the running, saying he had had "a good innings". Voters had deserted Labour, he said, because they felt "disconnected from the party".
His ex-cabinet colleague Ed Balls said he had yet to decide on standing, adding that Labour MPs had given "a pretty strong message" that they wanted a real debate on the reasons for the party's defeat. "There's got to be a proper debate, people want a proper debate and I'm going to take that very seriously. I'm talking to people in the parliamentary party and in the wider country too and I will decide in due course," he said.