General Election Timing: Still Betting 100 Weeks

Julian Glover, the Guardian's chief leader writer, has come out to play to Comment is Free after a six month hiatus. The allure of a snap election is laced with cowardice he claims, subtitling A prime minister who had faith in his own character would resist the temptations of going to the country early. So that's that then.

LOL reckon that Dizzy is now right to play it cool when he was so recently just a fool to fan the flames of rabid speculation.

They were all at it of course. Even though a "No 10 source" has told The Times: "There is no election announcement next week, this is just a diversionary tactic in the face of the Tory meltdown".

Dizzy's later post pointed to one of the snares and traps Gordon Brown may well be laying for the Tories viz. annual spending limits for which only Brown himself can or may know the window.

First weekend in June 2009 is still my best guess. I have been plugging that view pretty much since Brown took the helm.

"Wasting" a general election without boosting a local government or euro election would surely not be prudent. It's not really about bottle. Of course it is all about winning as "Idiot!" Julian's first commenter suggests. But in particular it is about winning well.

Those Euro elections may provide the best prospects of all. An upstanding 100 weeks from succession to own mandate. At least a couple more chances to wind Cameron up to spend his money.

Gordon Brown gets two elections for the price of one. Labour benefit royally from greater turnout in a side contest. Town Hall control recovered. Or best of a bad job with reducing numbers of Euro seats.