By Michael Savage, Political Correspondent
He couldn't, could he? After the debacle of the election that wasn't last autumn, which many blame for Gordon Brown's subsequent slump in popularity, surely the PM couldn't be considering calling an election next year.
But there are the first signs that the "E" word is returning to the minds of party activists. Yesterday, Tory spin doctors were canvassing the lobby, asking journalists what they thought the chances of a 2009 election were.
Labour’s national executive committee have started an election fund campaign. Why all this sudden election fever?
We all knew the Tory lead in the polls was shortening, but a Mori poll yesterday put it at just 3 points – from a peak of around 20 points.
And one senior Conservative Party source pointed out yesterday that the current battle over how to handle the economy, over which the two main parties are now clearly divided, makes it feel like election season in Westminster.
At the moment, pretty much everyone is saying it's too far fetched – Brown would never make another election mistake. Calling one now would be seen by many as a cynical attempt to cash in on the public's understandable desire to have an experienced hand at the helm.
The Conservatives are poised to accuse him of having a lack of judgement – first in fuelling speculation of an election last time, and then lacking the judgement to see how voters would view the calling of an election in such hard times.
But the mutterings continue.
And spare a thought for the Lib Dems. On just 12 per cent, they look set for a devastating result come the next election.
It could also be that they know that neiother they nor the conservatives are in a position to do anything about the present crisis but that the public, with its short term memory remembers only the party who were/are in power during the difficult times and not the opposition. So much better to be in opposition when the fan is distributing the shit everywhere.
Posted by: flipped | Wednesday, 19 November 2008 at 02:26 PM
Could Brown be that generous to the British Public?
Posted by: john problem | Thursday, 20 November 2008 at 08:43 AM
No, but he would want to save his own arse and legacy first. Failed PMs don't get very good write ups in history and Brown's is looking decidedly dodgier by the day, hour even.
Posted by: flipped | Thursday, 20 November 2008 at 12:15 PM