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March election 'likely' - Cameron | March election 'likely' - Cameron |
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Conservative leader David Cameron has said he believes 25 March is a "likely date" for the coming general election. | Conservative leader David Cameron has said he believes 25 March is a "likely date" for the coming general election. |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown can hold a general election at any time up to June, but is widely expected to plump for the first Thursday in May 2010. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown can hold a general election at any time up to June, but is widely expected to plump for the first Thursday in May 2010. |
But a recent fall in the Tory poll lead has led to talk of a "snap" election. | But a recent fall in the Tory poll lead has led to talk of a "snap" election. |
Ed Balls rejected that idea on the BBC but added that Labour was "ready". Mr Cameron told Sky News the Tories were "all systems go" for the election. | Ed Balls rejected that idea on the BBC but added that Labour was "ready". Mr Cameron told Sky News the Tories were "all systems go" for the election. |
Mr Cameron told Sky's Adam Boulton the country needed a new government and "a fresh start" and said the Tories had been "clearing manifestos" ready for the campaign. | Mr Cameron told Sky's Adam Boulton the country needed a new government and "a fresh start" and said the Tories had been "clearing manifestos" ready for the campaign. |
He added that he "had always said that 25 March is quite a likely date if the prime minister wants freedom of manoeuvre". | He added that he "had always said that 25 March is quite a likely date if the prime minister wants freedom of manoeuvre". |
'Inter-galactic' | 'Inter-galactic' |
Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who is also a Conservative, told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, that while he was "not going to say the election is a done deal... it is like a novel where the denouement has become obvious a little bit too early". | Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who is also a Conservative, told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, that while he was "not going to say the election is a done deal... it is like a novel where the denouement has become obvious a little bit too early". |
He said: "I think the Labour government is almost completely discredited. In my view they have bogged it up in the most imperial, inter-galactic fashion. They have run up colossal sums of debt and have no credible way out of it." | He said: "I think the Labour government is almost completely discredited. In my view they have bogged it up in the most imperial, inter-galactic fashion. They have run up colossal sums of debt and have no credible way out of it." |
Schools Secretary Ed Balls, who has been close to Mr Brown for more than a decade, denied on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that the pre-Budget report was part of campaigning for a "snap" election. | Schools Secretary Ed Balls, who has been close to Mr Brown for more than a decade, denied on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that the pre-Budget report was part of campaigning for a "snap" election. |
He said that Labour general secretary Ray Collins had made clear Labour was ready to fight an election whenever the prime minister wanted it. | He said that Labour general secretary Ray Collins had made clear Labour was ready to fight an election whenever the prime minister wanted it. |
But he added: "But I have heard nobody talking about going for snap or early elections but whenever it comes we will be ready." | But he added: "But I have heard nobody talking about going for snap or early elections but whenever it comes we will be ready." |
A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times suggests the Conservatives are on 40%, Labour on 31% and the Lib Dems down two to 16%. That 9% lead is down from 13% in the past week the newspaper says. | A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times suggests the Conservatives are on 40%, Labour on 31% and the Lib Dems down two to 16%. That 9% lead is down from 13% in the past week the newspaper says. |
However a ComRes poll for the Independent suggests the Conservative lead has grown over the past month. It puts David Cameron's party on 41% with Labour on 24% and the Lib Dems up four points at 21%. |