HOLYROOD has been plunged into a dispute over Scotland's busy electoral timetable which could see voters facing two Scottish parliament elections within the next four years.

 

A row has broken out over whether the next Scottish government, which is due to be elected a year from now, should serve a three or five year term of office.

The standard Holyrood term, laid down in the Scotland Act, is four years but a Scottish Parliament election cannot be held in 2020 because it would clash with the next Westminster poll.

A number MSPs believe the next parliament should only sit for three years, to avoid a repeat of the problem in 2025 and return Holyrood to a four year cycle.

A three year term would also allow less time for a possible independence referendum if Nicola Sturgeon were to win a majority in May next year and a mandate for a re-run of last September's vote.

The alternative would be a five year parliament, ending with an election in 2021.

One MSP said: "This can only be settled two ways and the powers that be will have to seek parliamentary support for one of the options.

"Five years is more attractive superficially because three years seems a short period for a government to deliver a programme.

"But it would present us with the same problem in 2025 so we have to have either a three year term or move permanently to five years, which was not the intention of the Scotland Act which created the Scottish Parliament."

A Scottish parliament election was due to have taken place this year but was postponed when Westminster's Fixed Term Parliament Act set the date of the General Election for the same time.

However, the one year delay was only a temporary fix, leaving MSPs facing the same problem as they approach next year's election, to be held on May 5.

Holyrood's Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick wrote to the former Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael at the end of last month highlighting the need to change the date of the 2020 election.

She is due to write to his successor, David Mundell, requesting that Westminster hand Holyrood the power to make the change, using a mechanism known as a "Section 30" order.

She has also discussed the issue with party leaders, who have agreed a solution must be found before voters go to the polls next year.

A parliament spokesman said: "With the backing of all party leaders at Holyrood, the Presiding Officer will write to the new Secretary of State for Scotland to request a Section 30 so that the Scottish Parliament can quickly take steps to avoid a clash of elections in May 2020.

"The PO made clear to the outgoing Secretary of State that the Section 30 would be solely for this purpose and to bring clarity on the matter."

Under the Scotland Act, Holyrood parliaments were to serve for four years and did so after the 1999, 2003 and 2007 elections.

The Scottish Parliament will gain control over its own election under the extra devolved powers recommended by the Smith Commission following the independence referendum.

However, Holyrood will be barred by law from holding a Scottish election at the same time as a UK General Election.

It also must not clash with European Parliament elections or council elections.

Both are on five yearly cycles, with the next local authority election on May 4, 2017 and the next European election in 2019.

The Scottish Parliament will seek a permanent reform of its electoral timetable when control over voting is transferred from Westminster, Ms Marwick said.