My Lords, the request for a dissolution is perhaps the ultimate act of humility by an Executive. It is placing all that has been lent, first by the electorate, and then by Parliament, in the hands of the British people. That is the underlying thought behind what my noble friend Lord Bridges of Headley said, in what was a significant and important speech, as was the speech of my noble friend Lord Howard of Lympne.
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I have listened carefully to the debate. I am not going to repeat at length the arguments that I put in Committee; they lie there in Hansard and I stand by them. One novel argument was put forward today; the noble Baroness who has just finished, and indeed the noble and learned Lord, Lord Judge, referred to remarks made by my right honourable friend Mr Rees-Mogg. Let me put it beyond peradventure: the established constitutional position is and remains that a general election is not required following a change in leadership. I think all of us agree with that, and it is and will remain the position.
The noble and learned Lord, Lord Judge, said he wanted the other place to think again, and other noble Lords made the same point. It is of course the right of noble Lords, when they wish, to ask the House of Commons to think again—but the House of Commons has thought about this and sent us a Bill with no such provision as your Lordships propose to insert in it. The Bill has also been considered by the Joint Committee, which has reflected on it.