8 Comments

• barcharter 9th Aug '07 - 3:12pm

  I think from Gordon Brown’s point of view, (and his is the view that matters) then the sooner the better, hence I’ve voted 2007.

  The longer he leaves it, the more chance he gives the Tories to get their act together, or for ‘events, dear boy, events’ to knock him off track.

  The last thing Gordon Brown is going to want is to be the new Jim Callaghan and never win a mandate in his own right…. he has waited too long, and worked too hard for this to see it slip away from his grasp now.

  Go quickly, while he is still enjoying this ‘bounce’. Nobody could criticise him both the Tories and Lib Dems have said he should go to the Country when he took over from Blair.

  Cameron is in deep trouble at the moment, and still hasn’t launched most of his policies. The Tories have had no chance to sell their policies to their own members, let alone the public….

  Could you imagine the fun if one of Cameron’s new ‘liberal conservative’ policies included in a general election manifesto were to backfire with his membership like the Grammar School debacle?

  If I were advising Gordon, I’d be telling him to seize the day! Go now. Announce the election during your leaders speech at conference.

  So I go for October 2007!

• IanP 9th Aug '07 - 3:35pm

  The appointment of Jon Mendelsohn as Campaign Manager could see an early election, which of course could be a tactical ploy to ensure that we never get a referendum on the European Treaty.

  With none of the major political parties stating that they will campaign for a NO vote on the European Treaty, they will simply take a win in the polls as being a mandate to do whatever they choose, and a simple vote in the Commons will suffice to see the treaty ratified.

  More devious trickery from NuLabour.

• Amy 9th Aug '07 - 3:54pm

  BUT, Labour are devoid of cash. Can’t see their new man rustling up the requisite as soon as October.
  They also aren’t as far ahead in their selection process as you’d think they would be if the election is to be so soon – unless Gordo’s planning on surprising his candidates and local parties as much as the rest of us. But they haven’t even been leant on to get a move on with it.
  And anyway, Labour don’t win autumn elections, do they.
  So, Spring next year seems a more sensible option from Labour’s point of view, and thus a more likely option to my mind.

• IanP 9th Aug '07 - 4:40pm

  Apparently the Labour Party have issued a drop dead date for completing all its Parliamentary candidate selections by September 23rd. This is the starting day of the Labour conference which could mean we get a “go back to your constituencies and prepare for more Government” type speech from Brown to the newly selected faithful.

  So says Dizzy
  http://dizzythinks.net/2007/08/labour-issues-drop-dead-date-for.html

• Letterman 9th Aug '07 - 9:40pm

  You can’t just have it in years – at this point in the game there’s a big differencebetween Spring and Summer 2008. Personally I think its going to be March 2008.

• Lib Dem member 9th Aug '07 - 10:04pm

  Oh Mr Letterman. I am sorry, but I do seem to have taken a slight turn against your comments today.

  It is rather presumptuous of you I believe to order other people on what voting options they can or cannot have.

• Rabi 9th Aug '07 - 10:17pm

  All this focus on what the Tories are doing and what Gordon plans is good fun … but how on earth is it contributing to our getting ready to give Gordon and David a bloody nose when we get the opportunity whether that be in Spring Summer or Autumn

  Has Steve Hitchins got his master plan to change the make – up of the Parliamentary Party post the general election in place for example?

  Just thought I would ask !!!

• Dan 10th Aug '07 - 11:31pm

  No chance of it being this year (or indeed next) – it’s all bluff.

  Brown does not cut and run.