ABSTRACT
For the best part of four years, everybody had been anticipating a general election to be held on Thursday 3 May 2001. Although the maximum term of a Parliament is five years, it has become customary for prime ministers to request the dissolution of Parliament about four years into a term, unless their position in the polls is too weak. 1 County council elections in England were due to be held on 3 May and it was assumed that, just as in 1997, the general and local elections would be held on the same day, since a combined poll was expected to boost turnout and help many Labour councillors retain their seats.
