How does Brown avoid calling an election without looking like a blithering idiot?
We asked our Election Analyst Michael Thrasher to come up with some excuses:
1) The PM says he’s been informed by the elections administrators that the arrangements are not in place for a properly conducted poll on the new register. Elections have to be seen to be fair and all that.
2) Brown points to the fact that today the NI Boundary Commission have announced their final recommendations. But there is not enough time to introduce these. However, given England and Wales have had theirs, shouldn't the Northern Irish also be included? I believe in democracy and fairness.
3) The impact a postal strike would have on voting by post.
Just a thought or three...
Written by Adam, 04 October 2007
If he goes for it i hope the press really hammer home to people to remind them of all the damage that Brown & not just Blair has done to practically bring this country to it's knees,& to see that smug grin wiped off his face if he loses
Posted by: liam Northants 6 Oct 2007 00:02:37
Again with apologies to Khalid (I am not trying to pinch his style) but in the words of Phil Collins……”I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord”.
It is in the air….the same feeling as 10 years ago. We know it’s needed and we are expecting it!!
The Mail is coming back onside. Murdoch is making the right noises…how can’t he really when the Tories are promising what the Sun wants…a referendum. He said last time...one last chance for Labour...it won’t happen again. And to all those who would reply that media barons shouldn’t influence elections. Well they do….live with it. Labour took advantage of that for the last 10 years now it’s payback time.
It is in the air….and if Gordon bottles it now…we will remember….
Posted by: Philip, Bristol 5 Oct 2007 09:18:18
You don't think he will be intervening in the postal strike then? Of course he won't. This country comes after Pru's ambitions...in fact...everything comes after Pru's ambitions. If it suits him they can stay out for a year. You can't corrupt postal voting if you can't postal vote!
It's going to be fun to see how many excuses he can come up with.....On Question Time last night, to the question do you want an election now… Menzies Campbell said “Yes”….George Osborne said “Yes”…Ruth Kelly said….well haven’t got enough time to write what she said…lets just say it was equivocal! After jeering Ms Kelly….the Question Time audience said “YES”...
Understand this….we want a vote....we want an election….But Pru knows we don't all want an election to give him a coronation........He stoked it up.....he thought it was clever...now call it....or forever be known as the coward he is. No excuses.... let us decide.....he hasn't got the guts.
What's the betting he will run and hide this weekend...holed up somewhere with his hands over his eyes hoping it will all go away. Well…Gordon…it won’t. You have been rumbled at last. And to paraphrase a favourite song of yours and your mate Tone….and with apologies to Khalid…..”Things can only get worse”…for you….
Before the apologists come of the woodwork….saying how this was a calculated ploy to see Tory policies......well he has seen them.....now fight an election against them! How this coward can even be photographed with real men in our armed forces God only knows. Not fit to lick their boots!!
Posted by: Philip, Bristol 5 Oct 2007 08:52:38
Professor Thatcher
You mean that the hundreds of thousands of foreign workers recently admitted into the UK by Labour are not on the register yet then?
The current boundaries were acceptable in all areas of the UK during the last election, so whats changed since then?
Postal voting should be discontinued until the authorities sort out the massive fraud that occurred during the last election!
There are no excuses! Gordons men talked up an impending election whilst he refused to correct them. He is a dithering opportunist as opposed to a conviction politican as claimed!
Posted by: The Morning Post 5 Oct 2007 02:00:18
Don't, for pities' sake, try to make excuses for the man.
That man, if he bottles out from an election now, deserves all the derision that the media can throw at him.
I am disappointed that you, Adam, an extremely experienced reporter, could be gulled into supporting such an opportunist weakling.
He obviously started the general election hare running in an attempt to obfuscate the dearth of ideas in the Labour Party conference, and to blot out the Conservative Party conference, following up with a blitz of such predictable regurgitated policies in an effort to raise public support.
The opinion polls don't appear to have gone in his favour, so he will probably pull the plug on an early election.
The public are starting to see him as he is, and I think that even you must have seen beyond the rosy glow by now.
If you continue to support that man, I fear that your future as a respected reporter won't be too optimistic.
But then I suppose that you will stay true to the party of your choice and you will now concentrate your efforts into helping those who will try to dump him in favour of a more popular leader who can make the labour party more acceptable before the next election is required in a couple of years.
'Our leader is finished - long live our leader!'
Posted by: E Welshman 4 Oct 2007 21:04:45
And do you really think those explanations would do Gordon's credibility any good? No way, he has blown it.
Posted by: sheepdip 4 Oct 2007 20:44:42
Its refreshing to see the Tories with some policies at last. I thought the conference went well and even if Gordy did not watch it I bet he has a video !
Since when has any election had notice, come on its only boxes, electors roll and a few schools being booked.
Postal votes, come on since when has a postal votes put a party into no 10.
Pity there was nothing on basic pensions from cameron apart from the Brown stolen pensions which should have been fixed about 6 months ago.
The tories should have annouced a block on any company fund being stolen once money has been paid in.
brown will stay until pushed to an election, always believed that is the case.
Posted by: mike.spain 4 Oct 2007 19:20:27
He won't want to call an election if he feels there is sven a slight chance the majority of the public will remember it was he who did the pension fund raid a few years ago. Or any of the other offences to which he was an accessory to, both before and after the facts.
Should we watch out for that big clunking fist, or will it be a well placed feather duster style tickle to the chin such as the one that sufficed to deck the "tough as blancmange" Brazilian goalkeeper Dida.
Posted by: Ian,Lancashire 4 Oct 2007 18:32:27
Number three seems to be the likeliest in support of a claim that postal voters may well be disenfranchised by the postal worker’s industrial action; ironic that a Labour Leader could use industrial action to his advantage, especially when history shows clearly that labour have only suffered detrimentally because of previous industrial actions.
Number four could be a delay to see the latest polls before committing to the Mother of all Polls to the Mother of all Parliaments.
Posted by: Peter, Fife 4 Oct 2007 18:27:15