Possible General Election

[Sput]

It would be safe to say that the Queen is probably one of the best briefed people in the country. She knows everything about how this country works, and is privy to all intelligence and national secrets.

I bet she can't find her car keys though

[Stuart*]

but at least we would get to choose them rather than some genetically inbred misfit who has little or no grasp on the reality of modern life.

Maybe an inbred misfit, but its a dynasty that stretches back over a thousand years to William the Conqueror.

No it doesn't. I have stronger English ancestry for the last 1,000 years than they do, it doesn't make me royal. The throne was usurped many times over the last 1,000 years, as well you know know Jamez - and not always by anythone you can call legitimate claimants.

...an elected head of state would be a disaster. Just imagine Britain becoming a federal republic! Having the likes of Tony Blair and other discredited has-beens worming their way back into a position of power/authority.

I mentioned Ireland as a model here, where the Head of State has little power (as here now) except in the case of a hung parliament.

The British Royal family may not be perfect, but this country has had them since before the United Kingdom even existed. No politician would dare suggest getting rid of them or even downsizing their wealth until at least the current monarch has died, which as I said, could be another two decades!

When the United Kingdom was created the ancestor of the current Royal Family was the "Elector" of a minor sub-state in Germany (Hanover), was a distant relative who happened to be protestant.

And I would never say that the Queen is out-of-touch. She's had weekly meetings with every Prime Minister since 1952, including Sir Winston Churchill. It would be safe to say that the Queen is probably one of the best briefed people in the country. She knows everything about how this country works, and is privy to all intelligence and national secrets.

I didn't say the Queen was out of touch. I simply suggested that it should'd be her.

[marksi]

With a statement on Iraq on Monday and the pre-budget report on Tuesday, it looks like the election is now almost certain.

There have to be 17 working days between announcement and election, but I'm not sure if the day the election is anounced counts as the first day.

EDIT: Nick Robinson suggests an announcement on Tuesday could indeed lead to a poll on Thursday 1st November.

[rts]

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,, ... 67,00.html

[marksi]

If anyone's interested, the 1987 General Election is running on BBC Parliament now.

[Stuart*]

If anyone's interested, the 1987 General Election is running on BBC Parliament now.

Just watching abit of it now. They have obviously re-done the astons, because there is no way they had animated graphics like that 20 years ago They are very current N24!

[marksi]

No, they're the original Astons.

[Alexia]

Opinion polls are so fickle that a good couple of days saying the right thing and exposing the Tory shallowness will extend Gordon's lead back up to around 7 or 8 points, which in reality due to our FPTP system as opposed to PR, will probably translate into a 4th Labour term.

However, there is still no absolute credible necessary reason to call a general election right this minute. The Tories can shriek about Gordon Brown not having a mandate-- yet Major didn't have a mandate in 1990 did he? The GOVERNMENT is elected, not the Prime Minister. Gordon Brown is still (technically) bound by the list of pledges and commitments made at the last election.

It's surprising just how quickly the tabloids change their mind. One minute they're saying "dont need one" or - in the case of the Mail "don't call one now cos the tories will lose" - now all of a sudden if Gordon Brown "chickens out" from the bear baiting the bluebloods are giving him, then he's a pathetic scaredy-cat?

As if.

[Stuart*]

Opinion polls are so fickle that a good couple of days saying the right thing and exposing the Tory shallowness will extend Gordon's lead back up to around 7 or 8 points, which in reality due to our FPTP system as opposed to PR, will probably translate into a 4th Labour term.

I don't think we should quibble about FPTP when we have a solely contituency based elected assembly where a large number agree to legislation which doesn't effect their own constituents.

I want an English Parliament with the same rights as Scotland's Parliament within this Union of Nations.

Unless one of the main parties offers that as an option then I think I would have to campaign for a minor party who did.

[Alexia]

In principal I agree with you Stu, and I'm all in favour of FPTP, its stops the extremists getting in.

The problem is that the English National Party / English Democrat Party want to annexe Monmouthshire from Wales because according to "most of the residents feel more identity with England than Wales."

Shades of the 1930s landgrab in central Europe of the "Germans" in Austria and Czechoslovakia. The ENP/EDP are taking policy ideas from Hitler.

[marksi]

An announcement about Crossrail was made just before the election in 2001, and just before the election in 2005.

An announcement about Crossrail was made on Friday.

Edit 1550: But apparently not this time. Nick Robinson reports there will be an announcement of NO ELECTION.