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England Going For A May Election?

  • 13-01-2010 6:24pm
    #1
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭


    The rumours supposedly in inner journalistic circles have been building up for weeks as regards the next British election.
    Now a British minister has made a vocal slip-up and possibly hinted even further that plans are already in action for an election in May this year!
    An embarrassing slip of the tongue from Health Secretary Andy Burnham has provided another hint that the general election has been pencilled in for May. The gaffe came as Mr Burnham was unveiling plans to restrict sunbed use by children.
    "I hope you will add your weight in whatever way you can to the campaign, and if we focus on it we can change a little piece of the law by May this year," he told the audience in Westminster, before adding hastily: "And indeed later this year."
    The crunch poll must be held by June, but most observers now expect it to take place on May 6 - the same day as local government elections.
    Europe minister Chris Bryant made an even more blatant reference to the timing recently as he discussed Britain's relations with Latin American.
    "I hope that by the time of the general election on May 6, relations will have improved," he told a group of envoys and academics.
    Source

    Would we benefit from a new British conservative government? :confused:


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,729 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    :confused:

    Elections are a secret?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    Overheal wrote: »
    :confused:
    Elections are a secret?

    They like to spring them on the people when they are in doubt as to the outcome - like our lot!
    I'm beginning to distrust politicians. ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,574 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Biggins wrote: »
    England Going For A May Election?
    And the rest of the UK?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 88,972 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    I don't think this is a secret! The last election was in May 2005 so they have to hold one by end of that month anyway.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,608 ✭✭✭✭sceptre


    mike65 wrote: »
    I don't think this is a secret! The last election was in May 2005 so they have to hold one by end of that month anyway.

    Nowhere near a secret I'd say.

    General election deadline is June 3, not May though, even though the current parliament met first on May 11, 2005. I can explain why properly but it'd take a while (for the incurably curious, see the 1715 Septennial Act (as modified by the 1911 Parliament Act section 7) and the 1983 Representation of the People Act (schedule 1) and bear in mind that the convention since 1935 is to have general elections on Thursdays). Technically under the 1694 Meeting of Parliament Act the Crown has three years to call an election but the writ will be moved earlier (earlier as in the next day as opposed to three years later:)).

    The local elections are already scheduled for May 6 so it's easily the most obvious guess that the general elections, which have to be scheduled around then, will be scheduled for then. The Spectator did this basic guesswork already and last May strongly suggested the that the date would be May 6 on the basis that Brown would want to hang on as long as possible to try and recover in the opinion polls and that if Labour took a hammering at the local polls on May 6 they'd find it hard to get people out again to canvass and vote for recent losers. Add to that the reduced cost of having it on the same day as locals (or rather that the Conservatives won't be able to attack them for spending on two days instead of one) and the May date has been pencilled in for rather a long time now.

    May 6 makes the most sense for everyone. I'd say it's been a done deal for a while unless Brown has a specific self-beneficial reason to move earlier.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,336 ✭✭✭Mr.Micro


    Brown has to reluctantly go to the polls as the deadline will be up. The voters have Hobson's choice, a shower like the current sleazy greedy expense fiddling useless mob or the Tories whose middle names are sleaze and cover up. ( The Lib Dems are not a choice so are not included). What a choice :eek:


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    Mr.Micro wrote: »
    ...What a choice :eek:
    Sounds too much like us. :(
    Talk about having things in common with our neighbours!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,200 ✭✭✭imme


    This isn't a surprise to me. I suspected that Brown would go on as long as he could. The suspicion came from what he said (although you can't always believe what politicians say, shock horror) and what he didn't say. Like when he didn't call an election after his well received handling of the Terror Threats after he assumed the PMship. His numbers were up and some of his cabinet were pushing him for an election. He didn't go for it.

    SOME local elections are scheduled for the UK for 06 May 2010.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_local_elections,_2010


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,575 ✭✭✭✭A Dub in Glasgo


    Victor wrote: »
    And the rest of the UK?

    Obviously doesn't matter


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,200 ✭✭✭imme


    Obviously doesn't matter
    the election will be a General Election, UK-wide


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,574 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    imme wrote: »
    the election will be a General Election, UK-wide
    Sarchasm http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sarchasm


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,200 ✭✭✭imme




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    Biggins wrote: »
    England Going For A May Election?

    Alex Salmond would welcome that :rolleyes:


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