Clause 2 — Early parliamentary general elections

Part of Fixed-Term Parliaments Bill (Programme) (No. 2) – in the House of Commons at 4:45 pm on 24 November 2010.

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Photo of Tristram Hunt Tristram Hunt Labour, Stoke-on-Trent Central 4:45, 24 November 2010

I could not agree more with the hon. Gentleman, and I will come to the Supreme Court in a moment. I do not want to interfere with his amendments on the Speaker's certificate, which are absolutely correct. My hon. Friend Ian Lucas referred to the Digital Economy Act 2010, and the Hunting Act 2004 was also reviewed in court. Yes, the court ruled that it could not interfere with the Act, but it had to go to the Law Lords for that supposedly self-evident truth to be confirmed. Even there, the judgement was hardly a ringing endorsement of Parliamentary sovereignty, which is what amendment 33 seeks to retain.