BLAIR TO CALL EARLY GENERAL ELECTION IN OCTOBER

[dArKeR]

EXCLUSIVE: PM gears up for shock poll
By Oonagh Blackman, Deputy Political Editor

TONY BLAIR has warned Labour chiefs to be ready to fight a snap election this October.

MPs have been ordered to update campaign leaflets as soon as this summer's council and European elections are over.

It was widely expected that the Prime Minister would go to the polls in spring 2005.

But senior Labour sources say the mood for an election this autumn is growing thanks to a new mood of "optimism".

One MP told the Mirror: "We've just been told that our photos for the campaign leaflets must be got ready after the Euro elections and local elections in June. There is a growing sense that October is no longer out of the question."

Party chairman Ian McCartney told the spring conference the manifesto must be ready by autumn.

The MP added: "Everyone thought that was for the annual conference but it looks as if it might have more significance."

Other MPs said there is a new mood of "optimism".

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=14071509%26method=full%26siteid=50143%26headline=blair%2dto%2dcall%2dearly%2dgeneral%2delection%2din%2doctober-name_page.html

[UrbScotty]

1. Here we go!

Aznar
Bush
Blair
Berlusconi

[interupt]

4. Hey don't forget Howard

Some of us are living to put a strikethrough that name.

Oh no hang on, most of our troops have left and our pilots refused to bomb civvie targets or use cluster bombs, how can we be called coalition allies?

[Chitown_Dem]

9. lol

Good point

[Joanne98]

6. lol

n/t

[Gloria]

2. MMMM...During the past week, I posted to the

World Media Watch an article from the Guardian or Independent about how a lot of Labour Party members were about to bolt.

And then there are the articles about Spain and the shift in Europe and how Blair and Berlusconi are being isolated.

Where is this "optimism" coming from??

[sadiesworld]

3. Hm...just prior to our election...why?...any connection?

[gristy]

7. That is very curious

1. I agree - what optimism are they talking about?
2. An election in England moved to one month before ours. WTF is that all about? I can't begin to guess the influence this will have on our own election. But there will be an influence.

[Zhade]

34. ONE MONTH BEFORE = OCTOBER SURPRISE!

I think we now know why this is happening. What will it be? Osama bin Laden "captured"? Another "terrorist" attack?

[revcarol]

16. Trying to influence our election!!

Put a sock in it, Blair!! I'm making up my OWN mind.

[TahitiNut]

5. Sounds like the "October Surprise" has been scheduled.

:eyes:

[cosmicdot]

8. my first reaction, too

the Brits, though, just might toss the tosser out

[zwielicht]

14. same here (nt)

while of course i hope we are wrong.

[mobuto]

19. Replaced by whom?

The Tories?

The solution to the Blair problem is a change in Labour leadership. Because the Tories are hardly a viable alternative.

[MrPrax]

26. Yup...

as the British would say, "let got them by the short and curlies" and the bastards DID grind them down...

That's why no one in Britain in yelling ABB

Ain't a democracy grand...

[Tinoire]

15. Do they not realize that with so many "hints"

It won't be such a "surprise" :shrug:


On edit... Well maybe it will be to the Bush lovers. They're not very bright.

[DoYouEverWonder]

25. You've got a point

I wonder what coattails Blair thinks he's going to be riding on in October? It would seem at this point a bad idea to try to get reelected on W's coattails. Unless of course, they've got some major surprise up their sleeves that will suddenly make the whole world think they are great heros? Or they've figured out a way to silence the oppostion?

[Junkdrawer]

29. And Balir says "I want reelected too before the house of cards...

comes down". Only question is: What will it be? Thaw the Osama-sickle(tm)? A 'terra attack on London?

[saigon68]

30. Hope the poodle likes this.

An anti war rally in London organised by the Stop The War Coalition. Two anti-war demonstrators on scaled London's landmark Big Ben clock tower in a spectacular protest, as opponents of the US and British invasion of Iraq (news - web sites) prepared to mark its first anniversary with a rally.(AFP/File/Nicolas Asfouri

[terisel]

10. The WMD have been shipped to Iraq

Possibly the Teheran Times story is accurate. If a cache of weapons of mass destruction have been shipped to Iraq and they are traceable to Russia and a few other countries, Blair would seem to be exonerated and win the elections.

I would imagine they would have to produce the "find" shortly before the elections in England and US to get the desired effect on the electorate.

The fact that Rumsfield and Cheney are still insisting such weapons will be found is interesting.

[gristy]

11. Hmmm. Yes.

The point is not that England will hold their elections before the US, but rather that they will hold them about the same time. There is a limited time window where anyone can benefit from the "discovery" of WMDs. By timing his election around the same time, he hopes to benefit from the crap that he rightly assumes * will be doing to win his own election.

[Barrett808]

18. I suspect the various intel agencies would torpedo this op by leaking

At least a guy can hope.

[Zhade]

35. Hmmm. Interesting possibility.

We must keep reminding people that the WMD issue was a red herring - even if Hussein had possessed such weapons, preemption was STILL not warranted and was illegal under international law.

[emad]

12. Sounds like counter intelligence to the Michael Howard/Fox News

story about Rupert Murdoch backing the Tories in his rags.

Blair's more likely to be thrown in the slammer in the Tower of London by Monday morning than call an October election.

[legin]

13. This makes some sense

I was reading an article a while ago about the unpleasant tax rises that Gordon Brown would have to implement to fill the hole in the national budget. But in our recent budget day, we just had, he didn't do anything nasty, so he is probably going to have to do it next year which would be right before an election in summer 2005.

Also if bush* wins in November it gives the Repubs 6-8 months to get the blair replaced by the Conservative Party if we had a summer 2005 election.

The Telegraph was calling the recent budget a good pre-election budget too.

[VolcanoJen]

17. I'm feeling a "new mood of optimism" too, Tony!

I'm optimistic that the British will throw your ass right out of 10 Downing Street this fall. Americans will hand Chimpers his walking papers, as well...

[PatGund]

23. Here here!

I'm the father of a US/UK dual citizen. I'd love for her to see both her countries toss poodleboy and shrub out on the streets,

[Florida_Geek]

20. the good news is once he calls for an election

he can not uncall it.

If London gets hit by an terrorist attack, the Britains will blame Blair.

[Jazzgirl]

21. Does anyone remember the article in the Tehran Times?

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=3/13/2004&Cat=4&Num=011

Weird but the only place the US unloading WMD's was mentioned was in this publication. The only other place I found it mentioned was in an article I read on Commondreams.org by Ira Chernus.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0318-04.htm

Supposedly, some news orgs checked the story but couldn't confirm anything (any wonder??).

I say all of the above to put on my tinfoil hat and wonder if these WMD's are going to miraculously appear in September thereby exonerating Bliar and *shrub?? Thoughts??

Jazzgirl

[Exultant Democracy]

22. They are playing for keeps, I wouldn't put anything past them.

[Manix]

24. Goodbye Tony!

[mobuto]

36. Who do you think would be elected?

Lest you forget, Tony Blair is the leader of the Labour Party. If Labour is defeated, it will almost certainly be replaced by the Tories. And you think Blair's bad? Meet Michael Howard.

The solution isn't to defeat Labour at the ballot box, its to effect a change in Labour Party leadership.

[troublemaker]

27. If the socialists rough up Chirac's party...

If there's anything to this story it suggests Blair wants his options open. He would have a tough time running following a Bush loss and wants to see which way the wind's blowing.

Unrelated observation: If the socialists rough up Chirac's party this Sunday in France Republicans will explode trying to figure out how to spin it.

[daleo]

28. I think he wants to go before Bush

If Bush gets thrown out, it would be very bad for Tony, so he will take his chances with the voters before that can happen.

[arcos]

32. You are probably right... n/t

[Screaming Lord Byron]

31. This is standard procedure. It does not mean an election in October.

It just means they want to be ready for the possibility, that's all. Any rational governing party would be in the same position.

[T_i_B]

37. Ain't nothing going on here but SPIN

That is all this article is.

One MP told the Mirror: "We've just been told that our photos for the campaign leaflets must be got ready after the Euro elections and local elections in June. There is a growing sense that October is no longer out of the question."

It's just a mild hint and vast amounts of speculation. This sort of story is always worth staying away from.

[Zhade]

33. WHAT DOES HE KNOW?

He MUST know something is coming that will help his chances.

Watch this liar like a hawk - something is cooking!

[DoYouEverWonder]

38. These madmen are delusional

The way Bu$h and Blair are acting, you would think they have a nuke attack up their sleeve or a they found a massive stash of Saddam's WMD's.

No matter what their little surprise is, it is bound to blow up in their faces this time. Look at Spain, that little terror attack was supposed to push the election to Aznar's hand picked successor. Instead, it went the other way because these fools no longer understand the will of the people.

Four years ago, we really had no idea what Bu$hCo would be like. However, 4 years latter the whole world knows what despicable, lying, crooked, greedy, sick bastards we are dealing with here.