Parliaments run five years, not even. The power to choose when to call an election does have disadvantages as well, and periodically there are suggestions for going over to some kind of fixed period system.

One thing that makes a difference here is that there are strict limits on how much any individual candidates can spend, and that is enforced - MPs have lost their seats for going over the limit. There are no limits on what parties can spend, but there is a lot of talk of putting a cap on that as well, because fund raising by parties is recognised as tending towards corruption.

And the fact that no paid election adverts are allowed changes the way elections are fought.

"On Election Day, the total topic is taboo to radio, TV, newspapers etc" Not really so. Some papers do go in for splash stories intended to affect the election. On the day of the 1992 general election the Sun ran a headline saying: "If Kinnock wins today, will the last person to leave Britain turn out the lights." And after the election resulted in Kinnock losing it ran a headline "It was the Sun what done it'.