10 March 2010

The budget date ends the phoney war of words

Gordon Brown’s speech and the expected announcement that the budget will be on 24 March, brings the pre-election campaign to an abrupt end.  It is all but certain we go to the polls on 6 May:

In the past few weeks Mr Brown, along with his closest colleagues, Lord Mandelson, Ed Balls and Ed Miliband, have considered the merits of an earlier election battle but rejected the idea. The improvement in Labour’s poll rating convinced Mr Brown and his colleagues that they can use the next eight weeks to eat further into the Tory lead and make headway in marginal seats.

Cameron, with attempts to show the Tory party has changed, along with the shifts in policy, the mistakes and misjudgements, has just a few weeks to prove that he can lead this country.  Dave had better be ready, because is going to come up against one of the most successful election machines ever assembled.

As for Labour, for all the reasons we have discussed, it’s a high risk strategy having Gordon Brown lead an election campaign.  It was Mandelson’s decision last June that kept Brown in post and it’s his judgement that will now be tested to destruction.

Nick Clegg enters this campaign with nothing to lose.  He has to perform well and ensure that the LibDems vote doesn't ebb away.  In the early hours of 7 May, this young man may well have to decide who forms the next government.

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2 comments:

  1. >>one of the most successful election machines ever assembled

    Really?

    I thought they replaced their award winning driver with someone who doesnt know where he is going and they can't afford petrol because they spent all their money on their last little outing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are forgetting something very important. It was Brown, not Blair, who devised the election strategy in 1997, 2001 and 2005.

    ReplyDelete