Election news update 1.50pm

I am hearing that Gordon Brown is to pre-record an interview this afternoon for Andrew Marr in which he will announce that he has abandoned his early election.

Comments

[Ted B]

Doing this before his council of war tomorrow seems slight odd. That said I've laid the early election on betfair, I wouldn't go now if I were PM purely because the practicalities (postal strike, electoral register, restriction of movement in the countryside) mean it would be difficult to hold a poll.

[michael read]

well done, danny. Wot a scoop

[David Moss]

Mr Brown indicates that there will be no general election after all in 2007 nor, probably, in 2008. This, after himself stoking the fires of an election.

His humiliation is complete.

He has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and made himself a laughing stock. It is richly deserved and somehow utterly condign after all that prissy son of the manse with a moral compass guff.

The press are having enormous fun and so are the people. There is dancing in the streets, jubilation and a national mood of celebration which will warm the winter and fuel climate change for months to come.

Just one thing. This empty buffoon, faute de mieux, has to represent us at international summits for the foreseeable future. And he can't, can he?

The jollity will not be reserved for these shores. Can you imagine the jokes in the EU? At the G8? How will the IMF refer to the new mood in Britain? "Modified authority"? Will Africa want to be rescued by this man? How does our man at the UN speak with a straight face? Will NATO bother to listen? Can you imagine the embarrassment when George W. Bush, charitable Christian that he is, expresses his sympathy?

This can't go on. We've got wars to run. How can our generals accept Gordon Brown's political direction? We can't be represented by a demonstrable charlatan. A man who put his self-interest ahead of the country's and then couldn't even get that right.

There jolly well will be an election in 2008. And I can tell you now who is not going to win.

[David Moss]

In a few weeks' time, Gordon Brown will sign us up to the EU Constitutional Treaty. With what authority?

[David Moss]

Perhaps it is given to no man to destroy two political parties.

Over the course of 13 years, Gordon Brown has destroyed the Labour party, the party he claims to love, by turning it into a vicious parody of the Conservative party.

How can socialist voters put their cross against Labour? They can't. How can the Liberal Democrats consider a post-electoral pact with Labour? They can't.

But the attempt by our vicious parody of a Prime Minister to destroy the Conservative party as well has proved too much.

[David Moss]

"Not Flash ... Just Gordon"
How long before this disappears mysteriously from Saatchi's greatest hits?

[David Moss]

SHIPPING NEWS
It is with regret that we report the death of several backbencher mice, mercilessly tossed overboard as ministerial rats left the sinking ship. "When it was reported that we did not stand because Gordon is clearly the best leader," said the rats, "our comments were taken out of context".

[David Moss]

There is no point now Labour being in government.

David Blunkett could put down a motion of confidence tomorrow. The Conservatives could put down a vote of no confidence.

If the government falls, well and good.

If it survives, then more and more unwilling Labour MPs will have been forced into the nightmare of voting publicly against their conscience in the knowledge that their chances of re-election will fall as a result from low to zero.

[Steve MacFarlane]

That's two boasts I've read today in Times Online - about Finky exclusively revealing which rival journalist got the scoop! Well done! Brown has big interview with Marr about only one conceivable subject...
The Press Association should have an award for hearing about someone else's story and posting before they air - Finky played a blinder and it should be recognised!