Saturday 6 December 2008

Is the Gorgon going to dither us past another election?

James Forsyth seems to think a May 2009 election is on the cards:

Privately, Tories fret about a mid-recession 2009 election, with the Prime Minister seeking a "doctor's mandate" to complete the patient's recovery. Their fears have been enhanced by a slimline Queen's Speech this week, which gave the impression of a party preparing for an election. Not true, Cabinet ministers insist: the aim was to avoid backbench rebellions and Mr Brown is not thinking about an election. They have to say that, don't they? He got into such a pickle last time he allowed election speculation to run that he'll be telling us he's only thinking about the economy even if we get to May 2010.”

Certainly, the Tories would prefer to fight in 2010. By then the crisis phase will have passed and the extent of Brown’s economic mismanagement will be clearer. But, as Grice notes, the problem for Brown is that he has form with election speculation. If the Tories can stoke speculation sufficiently, Brown will feel obliged to rule it out: remember how close he came to doing so just before the PBR



Come on Gorgon. Have the courage of your convictions: put it out there, give us an election. Let us show you what we really think about you.

9 comments:

Bill Quango MP said...

Do we really want him to call an election so soon?
when they lose won't it just allow the Labour party to pretend that everything would have been fine if they had been allowed to finish their term of office. It will be a Versailles Treaty moment and will let those who have bankrupted the country off the hook.
Paving the way for the stabbed in the back lie to be peddled endlessly until they form New Improved Labour or whatever its going to be called.
Better to suffer another year and a bit of the Great Helmsman so the public see that he really did have no clothes; not even a hanger.

Wyrdtimes said...

If I recall correctly they just postponed a decision on the 3rd Heathrow runway for 12 months - they are up to something.

I have real difficult how anyone could be blind or stupid enough to ever vote Labour again.

Mark Wadsworth said...

I guess Nulab-Blulab alliance will go for May 2009 election to coincide with local gummint and EU Parliament elections to minmise share of vote going to UKIP. And one thing is for sure, either Nulab or Blulab will win in 2009. Both of which looks pretty crap from where I'm sitting.

Anonymous said...

Isn't June 9th. a more likely date (I'm pretty sure that's when the EU elctions take place)?

King Athelstan said...

No way will McBonkers even consider an election. As far as He is concerned the job is His by right, and He does not consider it any of our concern. Right now at thge forefront of His thinking is how to avoid an election in May 2010.

Guthrum said...

better than 80% I would say, they are going to start rolling the printing presses on Monday to flood the economy with bank notes now the provisions of the 1844 Bank Act are out of the way

Anonymous said...

Wyrdtimes said...
"I have real difficult how anyone could be blind or stupid enough to ever vote Labour again."

No regular readers of this, or any similar blog would ever consider doing so. However you forget the millions of public servants whose well paid jobs, and gold plated pensions depend on them remaining in power. THEY are the biggest danger this country faces at the moment.

Mark Wadsworth said...

@ Microdave, but out of 8 million taxpayer funded jobs, no more than half would have to go be scrapped*, that's less than one tenth of the electorate.

* I am talking the pure quango waste jobs here, HNS and education could still be taxpayer funded but via a voucher scheme of some desciption.

Jack Maturin said...

Mugabe Brown will be planning to go in May, as James Forsyth speculates, but when it comes down to it the thought of potentially giving up the limousines and the direct line to the White House will be too much and he'll bottle it again.