The Poliblogs 4th October 2007

The Political Gutter

On Tuesday, Gordon Brown flew into Iraq and announced the withdrawal of 1000 British troops. Brown's 'spin machine' in trying to tell us this was just the routine business of government. I believe that they are lying. It was the middle of the Conservative Party Conference. Brown is hoping to be in a position to call a General Election tomorrow, or early next week. The troop reductions had already been announced. Shamefully, the BBC gave this visit wall-to-wall coverage. It seems to me that the visit which the Prime Minister of Great Britain arranged was for the specific purpose of using our armed forces for his own partisan political purposes. He is a national disgrace.

A View from Wales

How a win could leave Gordon a big loser

Talk in the bars of Blackpool in the past few days has been turning to the question of the election result. If we are to have a November poll, what will the outcome be and what has Gordon Brown got to achieve to make this mad plan worthwhile? Tony Blair won with a majority of 66 in 2005. The "go for it" crowd whisper in his ear that he can increase the majority and break the ton. On current Labour expectations - certainly as they stood at the end of last week - anything less than 100 would be disappointing. Less than 80 might look a bit like standing still and prompt a few muttered questions of the "what was the point of that?" variety. And 66 or less would be a loser's win

Ben Brogan

A fatal miscalculation

If, like this blog, you feel that the election fever dominating the headlines started as mere idle speculation by the political hacks, bereft of their daily does of their Blair-Brown "soap opera", then the current situation takes on an aspect somewhat different from that being offered by the MSM.

EU Referendum

Last Day Of Tory Conference 2007

Labour’s Betrayal – Their Promises Mean Nothing

Well before Brown took over, I’d been making the point that because Blair promised to serve a full Parliamentary term, we should have been granted a general election as soon as a new PM took up post. Obviously, Labour betrayed the public both on that promise and on other 2005 manifesto commitments, but they have - in the light of some improved polls - been hyping the idea of an early election.

Prague Tory

Underpowered and underwhelming

Conservatives 07: A lacklustre speech from its leader was symptomatic of a party still in the doldrums and fatally lacking self-belief.

Hywell Williams

The expectations' see-sore

Perhaps Mr Brown was hoping the Tory party conference in Blackpool this week, should it prove a disaster, would help make up his mind. If so, he’ll have been sadly disappointed - whatever you think of the Tories, it’s clear they’ve had a good enough week. By which I mean, they haven’t fallen into their usual traps of publicly displaying either chronic disloyalty to their leader, or self-indulgent rants from barking mad regiments of retired colonel-types taking their prejudices for a walk.

A Liberal Goes a Long Way

There won't be an election

With shaking hands, I type these words: there won't be an election this autumn. Following conversations today, I am now certain that all the signs point to Gordon Brown giving the idea a miss. Why?

Ben Brogan

ELECTION 2007: Britain tosses a coin

Well, it’s rapidly becoming the perceived wisdom that Gordon Brown’s on a hiding to nothing whether he calls an election or not. If he doesn’t he’ll get a hammering for bottling it, and if he does he’ll get a hammering for some of the reasons I mention in the post below.

Chicken Yoghurt

Will he, won't he?

A few opinion polls are due in the next few days and they'll give us a clue as to whether the Conservatives have done enough to "stave off the election" - in the words of this morning's Telegraph. What the headlines won't tellus is the position in the marginals. According to The Independent, Labour polling suggests that the situation in target seats is "patchy and extremely tight".

Conservative Home

Is election speculation turning people off?

I guess we should be living in interesting times, but this long drawn out speculation on whether our Prime Minister will call a General Election, is frankly, well, not interesting to the majority of people in the UK. Its in danger of causing paralysis to government, both local and national.

I genuinely believe that the majority of the population don't understand why we need a General Election, 2 years after the last one.

Meral’s Musings

The Health Goat

The man they call the Health Goat in Whitehall has been dragged into the electoral bear pit today. That man is Professor Lord Darzi - a man who's already got more than his fair share of titles and jobs. He's a top surgeon and professor two days a week and the man Gordon Brown brought into the government to head up an inquiry into the NHS four days a week. That's where his latest title comes from. GOAT is the acronym for Government Of All the Talents.

Nick Robinson