Rumour?
Trial ballon?
Leak?
If it is true, it’s not a surprise anymore.
Tony Blair has ordered his closest aides to draw up plans for a snap general election to be held in February, The Telegraph has learnt.
Alan Milburn, Labour’s new head of election strategy, has been told to launch a television and poster advertising blitz in the New Year and to put the party on a war footing under the campaign slogan “Britain Is Working”.The plan will cause surprise at Westminster because all sides have, until now, been preparing for an election on May 5. Cherie Blair appeared to let the date slip in a speech this month to the Cheltenham Literature Festival when she said that charity receptions at Downing Street were “fully booked until May 2005″.
The government has some leeway for when to call an election in the UK. I prefer the US set election dates, but it’s their perogative. Keeping it quiet till the last minute puts the Opposition at a disadvantage. Three months notice seems rather sudden.
Westminister election stumping is usually five to eight weeks, isn’t it?