 Parliament had been limited to a maximum of seven years under the <unk> Act <unk> , but this was reduced by the passing of the Parliament Act 1911 . Parliament would now be limited to five years , beginning the first meeting of parliament after the election . In practice , no election has been forced by such a limitation as all parliaments have been dissolved by the Monarch on request of the Prime Minister . It should be noted , however , that the five @-@ year maximum duration referred to the lifetime of the Parliament , and not to the interval between General <unk> . For example , the 2010 General Election was held five years and one day after the 2005 General Election , whilst the 1992 General Election was held on 9 April 1992 and the next General Election was not held until 1 May 1997 . The reduction in parliament length was seen as a counterbalance to the new powers granted to the Commons . 
