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Fixed Term Parliaments Bill

As ever, my hon. Friend makes an extremely important point, which I hope we can emphasise during the rest of the debate. I quoted the Labour party manifesto from 1992, which said that the question of whether the election would take place in late 1991 or 1992 had"““damaged our economy and weakened our democracy.””" The hon. Member for Cambridge argued that what happened in the political world last autumn likewise damaged our democracy and our economy. However, I argue that it did not damage the working of our democracy and it did not damage our economy. The only damage was to the Prime Minister and to the reputation of those around him for good political management. That is part of the world of politics—it is what happens in a democracy. Legislation such as the Bill would not prevent such things from happening again.