Newsroom24x7 Desk

London:  The British Parliament dissolved automatically on March 30 under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act after it was prorogued. Now Britain prepares for the A general election being held in the UK on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

The – Conservatives are keeping their fingers crossed and aiming to get majority and woiuld do their best to avoid a coalition. Prime Minister David Cameron and his Conservative party members have refused to discuss the possibility of a scenario unfolding that would necessitate a coalition. However the Liberal Democrats are not rigid on this count and are ready to talk alliances but there are undercurrents of concern among a section of the Liberal Democrats, who are wondering what happens if they have to consider the possibility of sitting with UKIP, which began with zero in 2010 but ended up with 2 seats at the time of dissolution of Parliament.

The Conservatives have closed their innings with 302 members (short of majority) in Parliament against 256 Labour, 56 Liberal Democrats and 35 others (DUP, SNP, Independent, Sinn Féin, Plaid Cymru SDLP, UKIP, Alliance, Green, and Respect) and the Speaker.

Cameron went into the top gear and had spelt out his agenda to push for another term in office for the Conservatives when he declared that Jobs, skills, transport, science, and quality of life are at the heart of the six-point long term economic plan to make the Midlands the Engine for Growth in the UK. Cameron had announced this plan in the first fortnight of February this year along with Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. The Prime Minister underscored on that occasion “what has been delivered, what is underway and what more can be done to make the Midlands an engine for growth in the UK.” The Plan for Midland, where the maximum voter concentration lies, is being projected as the plan that offers dividends for entire UK. It projects to raise the long term growth rate of the Midlands to at least the forecast long term growth rate of the whole UK – adding an extra £34 billion to the Midlands economy in real terms by 2030, equivalent to over £3,000 per person. A Specific emphasis that would attract the imagination of the youth is proposal to create 300,000 extra jobs in the Midlands by backing the core strengths of the local economy like advanced manufacturing and engineering.

The Cameron thrust notwithstanding, the Tories might again miss a majority–something they had missed even in 2010. For a clear majority they need 326 seats and with regional and small parties gaining popularity in pockets the fate of the Conservatives hangs in the balance. It might prove to be a waterloo for Cameron if he were to think of another coalition with the Liberal Democrats. What if they go down a slide down from their present strength of 56 (at the time of dissolution of Parliament) to a figure under 20 as is being projected by election analysts at this stage.

The Tories have also started feeling the heat as Labour Leader Ed Miliband has marginally beaten Cameron in a latest snap poll after a leaders’ debate, The small regional parties are getting people on their side as they raise their voice against the Trident Nuclear Programme. This was visible amply when Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon campaigned in a rally in Glasgow, Scotland.

• The British Prime Minister will ask the Queen to summon the new Parliament to meet on Monday May 18, when the business will be the election of the Speaker and the swearing-in of members. The State Opening of Parliament will follow on Wednesday 27 May.
• Voting will take place in all parliamentary constituencies of the United Kingdom to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to seats in the House of Commons, the lower house of the Parliament.
• The 2015 UK general election is being contested using the same constituencies and boundaries as in 2010 as the next boundary review is will take place in 2018.
• This would be a more costly election as the amount of money that parties and candidates are allowed to spend during eletioneering has been hiked by 23% – this against the advice of the Electoral Commission.