Well that beat my expectations. I really did think that he would not have one. On the other hand, this makes a May election much more likely.
The budget is going to go down like a dose of swine flu; no more stimulues and plenty of cuts to be set out, with possible tax rises too. The Government is going to need as long as possible to get over this disaster, so that makes May more likely for the General Election.
Having said that, perhaps this is a pump-fake and instead an election will be called in March so that the budget gets canned?
I need some good tea-leaf reading here...what do you all think?
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It can't be true, it wasn't announced by Mandelson.
Seriously though, I had started to wonder what had happened to Darling, he seemed to have been air brushed out of Govt in manner worthy of the old Soviet empire.
My guess is that a March election is too risky given the winter weather we have been having. Labour needs a turnout of its core supporters to prevent a melt down and those core supporters are notorious for being fair weather fans.
It does appear to be a May 6th.
I can't imagine they'd have what should be a very dark budget just before an election, it'd be suicide. For me there's three possibilities:
1) The election will be called early to avoid a budget and this is a ploy to try and catch the other parties napping.
2) The budget will go ahead but will contain lies that would have made the erstwhile Chemical Ali recoil in astonishment.
3) The budget will take place ahead of a May 6th election and will make us all realise that Neo Labour are trying to lose the election just as much as the Tories.
Numskull ministers chosen to "let slip" 6 May; now this.
Assuming there is a scintilla of nous anywhere in No 10, I'd say March looks more likely, but there's an element of wishful thinking in that.
Next Thursday would be my preferred choice. Or even 2 May 1997, in a parallel universe in which Miranda had been sent to jail for soliciting and his anointed successor likewise.
We've already had 2 ministers state that it'll be in May.
As for the Budget, Brown may have an 'idea' of talking more stimulus (he's a socialist at heart so considers the markets to be the enemy) or it'll just be full of those 'dividing lines' of which he speaks so highly...
This will be entertaining!
I think Darling has become a little the SS officer in the Mitchell and Webb sketch.The one who begins to have doubts and concerns for what he has been doing. The one who thinks he might not be right after all.
The one who has been thinking about their death's head cap badges.
"Hans, have you looked at our badges..? They've got skulls on! What kind of army would have skulls?
Hans..Are we the baddies?"
I predict a May election with 'modest' fiscal stimulation to lubricate the wheels until the day after the General Election.
Just enough time to crow to those willing to listen about how well they have done before it all falls apart.
Martyn.
Overall I think Scans reply best answers CU's question.
However, one of the oddest things about socialist Brown is his belief in "stimulus" - defined as an injection of "government" money into the economy, as mentioned by Richard Manns.
If Brown believes injecting money into the UK economy provides a stimulus, why cannot he see that extracting money (taxes) provides the reverse?
I have a leak from the inside the bunker.
"Darling, Mention Free Unicorns and Rainbows for all. Ta Gordy"
For a while now I have been suggesting that a pre-election budget will be totally pointless because if the Tories get in they will have another budget anyway, and if Labour win the IMF will be called the day after.
That said, Brown doesn't do sensible, so a March budget of freebies and giveaways followed by a May election followed by a summer emergency budget whoever wins.
Pump-fake
He is keeping his options open and polling like mad.This way he can do either.
Like the ditherer he is he cannot decide so he is doing both and nothing.....events will decide for him.
Beware The Ides Of March.
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