its being also read out in the London boroughs. This tradition was again carried out in May 2017. The last dissolution of Parliament was on 6 November 2019, to make way for the general election to be held on 12 December. Parliament was dissolved automatically due to the expiration of its term for the first time on 30 March 2015, as opposed to being dissolved by royal proclamation. Although provision was made by the Septennial Act 1715 for Parliament to dissolve automatically after seven, and later five years, in practice dissolution was always effected shortly before the end of the five-year period by means of a royal proclamation. Although Prime Minister David Cameron met the Queen on the day of the dissolution, the only business discussed was the calling of the new Parliament, and not a request for a dissolution, as had happened at every such meeting historically, and the subsequent royal proclamation made on 30 March simply called for the holding of the next Parliament. At the 2015 general election, the period between the dissolution of the previous Parliament and the meeting of the new Parliament was the longest period the United Kingdom had been without a Parliament since 1924. In accordance with the provisions of the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019, Parliament was dissolved without passing the motion cited under the provisions of section 2(2) of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, which was then the default mechanism for dissolving Parliament prior to the expiration of its term. The 2019 Act fixed the polling day for the next general election as 12 December 2019, as if it had under section 2(7) of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. This caused Parliament to be dissolved by virtue of section 3(1) of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act on 6 November. Previous situation Prior to the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, each Parliament would have expired after a five-year term, as laid down in the Septennial Act 1715 (as amended by the Parliament Act 1911). This could, however, be overridden at the pleasure of Parliament. The length of a Parliament was extended on two occasions since 1911, once during each of the two World Wars. At any time the Sovereign could dissolve Parliament and call a general election. In accordance with constitutional convention, the Sovereign did not act independently, but at the request of the Prime Minister. Constitutional experts, who are unnamed, held that the monarch