How long does Brown have to give between declaring the election date and the election itself? Could he?
People, “Brown” is Gordon Brown, British PM. He asks the queen to dissolve parliament, and the dissolution is immediate. The election will be held always on a Thursday at least 3 weeks after the dissolution. The longest campaign in living memory was 1997, when Major asked for a dissolution with a 6 week campaign. When parliament dissolves, all MPs lose the title “MP” and any who are standing again are merely candidates. But all offices of Crown (PM, ministers, leader of the opposition) keep their job titles until the election. They only lose their jobs if the election produces a change of government. Unlike many western countries, the vote count and the seat tally in the UK is complete within a few hours, and if there is a change of government the effect is immediate. There is no transitional period like in other countries. If Gordon Brown loses on the Thursday he must vacate Downing Street immediately, and to add insult to injury, at his own personal expense. Sitting PMs usually hire
