Comments on: Cameron calls for election: will Brown bottle it?

By: ceedee

ceedee — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 09:43:54 +0000

I believe the decision has already been made.

In the last 24 hours, several associates who work in the lighting and audio industry have been contracted by the Labour Party’s event organiser for a five week period.

I’d say that makes an announcement on Tuesday (of a general election on November 1st) almost definite.

ymmv

By: Anas

Anas — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:02:50 +0000

Ah yes Leon, the possible future state of the economy might be the overriding reason for calling an election now.

By: Anas

Anas — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:01:28 +0000

I don’t get this whole election thing. If he calls an election now it’s only because (Brown reckons) it is the most advantageous time for Labour and that he can do most damage to the Conservatives. But surely the public are going to punish him for calling an election which he can’t justify on any but the most mercenary grounds, certainly it won’t be because of public demand/need?

By: Leon

Leon — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:10:05 +0000

I still think he will call it next Tuesday. Even with these polls he’s still in a better position now than he’ll be in 12-18 months when the economy takes a dive…

By: Boyo

Boyo — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 07:11:33 +0000

Yes indeed, and ICM is historically the most accurate. But I refer you to my point at 2. If Brown does pull back I suspect we will not see a fourth Labour term, whenever he calls the election.

The present time remains his best chance: otherwise he will have efffectively relaunched the Conservative Party.

By: Sunny

Sunny — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:55:24 +0000

Well well! I thought the election was coming for sure until I saw today’s front page of the Guardian.

Forget that now.

By: Bal Singh

Bal Singh — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:45:15 +0000

I think he’ll go for it. Browny Sahib will call a snap election and will have the political heavyweights battling it out come Nov 1st.

Personally I think it’s the wrong time to have an election from the ‘potential turn out’ perspective, but can say that Brownie certainly does know how to stir up trouble (especially with his recent media centric jolly to the war zone).

I lost all respect for Cameron when he paraded Tony ‘Labour Donor’ Litt across the streets of Southall like a ventriloquist’s puppet a couple of months ago.

Obviously Labour and the Conservatives will be major players, but I sincerely hope the Lib Dems can show some might and gain some more seats. Poor old Ming is suffering from the ‘ageist’ media – but you never know he may be the real race winner come election day !

By: fiz

fiz — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:07:01 +0000

He won’t get a lead in the polls like this again in the next 2 years!!

By: Leon

Leon — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:41:49 +0000

Gordon Blair is afraid, and that is a good thing, since to call an election now would be damaging for the Tories.

If the polls show the public haven’t bought the brave face the Tories have put on he’ll go for it I reckon.

I don’t think Brown’s afraid although if he decides against an election the Tories will do their utmost to make him look that way (which will last a month at best before things move on).

By: Leon

Leon — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:39:04 +0000

Are you seriously suggesting he should apologise for getting rid of a genocidal fascist dictator?

Yes because that’s what the war was about and sold on…

By: Morgoth

Morgoth — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:31:48 +0000

and, he should have said sorry to the British Public for the Iraq War.

Are you seriously suggesting he should apologise for getting rid of a genocidal fascist dictator?

What next, wanting Churchill to apologise for fighting Hitler?

By: Rumbold

Rumbold — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:24:57 +0000

Gordon Blair is afraid, and that is a good thing, since to call an election now would be damaging for the Tories. It is better to wait until the full impact of his economic mismanagement is revealed.

By: Leon

Leon — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 09:33:13 +0000

Yep, as I said above, the coming polls will be critical in making the decision.

By: Letters From A Tory

Letters From A Tory — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 07:33:57 +0000

It was the best Cameron could do, but Brown must still be tempted to call an election. It is amazing how much significance the next couple of poll ratings will now take.

By: douglas clark

douglas clark — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:25:49 +0000

Not that he is likely to lose his own seat, right enough.

The figures were, at the last General Election:

Gordon Brown: 24278
Alan Bath ( Scot Nat): 6062
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Lib Dem): 5450
Stuart Randall (Conservative): 4308

and the rest making up the numbers.

So, the more general point about losing big in Scotland still stands, though Brown himself seems safe.

By: douglas clark

douglas clark — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:37:15 +0000

Leon,

The only thing that matters to Brown is whether or not he can retain his own seat. It is a given that Labour will win overall, what is not a given is that they will retain seats North of the Border. If the SNP play this correctly, perhaps by pleading that they didn’t ask for an election right now, perhaps by saying a plague on all your houses, Brown could end up as the guy that split the UK on the basis of being Scottish. Ironic, in’t it?

By: grumpy old matt

grumpy old matt — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:08:06 +0000

hats off to dave…

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I quite like the Conservative Party and what they stand for. Quite a lot, actually. In fact, just over six months ago I joined.
Enough of me. You knew this was coming.
Those of you who watch the news will…

By: Nyrone

Nyrone — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:09:13 +0000

That speech was so uninspiring I almost fell into a coma. New Politics? Change? What a load of crap.
The rumours are true folks, new packaging, same old content.

and, he should have said sorry to the British Public for the Iraq War.

By: Leon

Leon — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:33:17 +0000

Three polls coming out in the next few days, they’ll make the decision for him. Like A Councillor I still think it’ll will happen but less so than a few days ago.

I should say I’m not convinced the Tories had as good a conference as they [and some parts of the media] are to trying to convince themselves of. There’s a slight air of trying to talk themselves into good spirits about them right now…

By: A Councillor writes

A Councillor writes — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:49:45 +0000

We’ve been on red alert for an election for 10 days, personally I think that they will go, but I’m less certain than I was a few days ago – let’s say about a 65% chance.

If they don’t then, we’ve done a lot of preparation for when it is called, which means it isn’t a waste of time.