<sod>Under the [[Scotland Act 1998]], an ordinary general election to the Scottish Parliament would normally have been held on the first Thursday in May four years after the [[Scottish Parliament election, 2011|2011 election]], i.e. in May 2015.<ref name="ScotlandAct1">{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1998/80046--a.htm#2 |title=Scotland Act 1998 - Section 2 Ordinary General Elections |publisher=Office of Public Sector Information |accessdate=8 May 2007}}</ref> In May 2010, the [[First Cameron ministry|new UK Government]] stated in the [[Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition agreement|coalition agreement]] that the [[next United Kingdom general election]] would also be held in May 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/12/fixed-five-year-parliamentary-term|title=Fixed five-year parliamentary term will tie both leaders' hands|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=13 May 2010|accessdate=7 May 2011|first=Alan|last=Travis}}</ref> This proposal was criticised by the Scottish National Party and Labour, as it had been recommended after the [[Scottish Parliament election, 2007|2007 election]] that elections with different voting systems should be held on separate days: a recommendation which all of the political parties had then accepted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.snp.org/node/17079|publisher=[[Scottish National Party]]|date=31 May 2010|accessdate=7 May 2011|title=Coalition asked to respect Scottish elections}}</ref> In response to this criticism, Deputy Prime Minister [[Nick Clegg]] offered the right to vary the date of the Scottish Parliament election by a year either way.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12497498|title=UK government offers Holyrood five-year terms|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=17 February 2011|accessdate=7 May 2011}}</ref> All the main political parties then stated their support for delaying the election by a year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12507734|title=Salmond back Scotland 2015 election delay|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=18 February 2011|accessdate=7 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Holyrood-set-for-a-fiveyear.6720783.jp|title=Holyrood set for a five-year term to avoid clash with general election|work=[[The Scotsman]]|date=19 February 2011|accessdate=7 May 2011|first=Scott|last=McNab}}</ref> The [[Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011]], a statute of the Westminster Parliament, moved the date of the Scottish Parliament general election to 5 May 2016.<ref name=fixed/><eod>
<sod>Under the [[Scotland Act 1998]], an ordinary general election to the Scottish Parliament would normally have been held on the first Thursday in May four years after the [[Scottish Parliament election, 2011|2011 election]], i.e. in May 2015.<ref name="ScotlandAct1">{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1998/80046--a.htm#2 |title=Scotland Act 1998 – Section 2 Ordinary General Elections |publisher=Office of Public Sector Information |accessdate=8 May 2007}}</ref> In May 2010, the [[First Cameron ministry|new UK Government]] stated in the [[Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition agreement|coalition agreement]] that the [[next United Kingdom general election]] would also be held in May 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/12/fixed-five-year-parliamentary-term|title=Fixed five-year parliamentary term will tie both leaders' hands|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=13 May 2010|accessdate=7 May 2011|first=Alan|last=Travis}}</ref> This proposal was criticised by the Scottish National Party and Labour, as it had been recommended after the [[Scottish Parliament election, 2007|2007 election]] that elections with different voting systems should be held on separate days: a recommendation which all of the political parties had then accepted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.snp.org/node/17079|publisher=[[Scottish National Party]]|date=31 May 2010|accessdate=7 May 2011|title=Coalition asked to respect Scottish elections}}</ref> In response to this criticism, Deputy Prime Minister [[Nick Clegg]] offered the right to vary the date of the Scottish Parliament election by a year either way.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12497498|title=UK government offers Holyrood five-year terms|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=17 February 2011|accessdate=7 May 2011}}</ref> All the main political parties then stated their support for delaying the election by a year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12507734|title=Salmond back Scotland 2015 election delay|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=18 February 2011|accessdate=7 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Holyrood-set-for-a-fiveyear.6720783.jp|title=Holyrood set for a five-year term to avoid clash with general election|work=[[The Scotsman]]|date=19 February 2011|accessdate=7 May 2011|first=Scott|last=McNab}}</ref> The [[Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011]], a statute of the Westminster Parliament, moved the date of the Scottish Parliament general election to 5 May 2016.<ref name=fixed/><eod>