For the benefit of the country....?

The Conservative leaders obviously believe that G. Brown is contemplating calling a general election in March 2010, rather than the expected May or June. So the Tories are making preparations on that basis.

Why would G.Brown do this? Surely if he waited until June the green shoots would have blossomed into plants by then, and he could claim to have led the country out of recession. Or despite his bluster has he begun to doubt that there will any sort of recovery even by June?

The suspicion is that the budget figures will be so bad as to destroy an already severely damaged reputation for economic competence. So if he went to the country early he could dodge having a budget until after the election when someone else might have to deal with the mess.

He would sell it to the country as being the best time for the county, but Brown never does anything for the benefit of the country, - everything is for the benefit of his party and himself.

Whatever his reason, the Tories have evidently picked up several signs, and are seriously making themselves ready.

What a situation, with such jockeying, if there was ever a doubt about fixed term parliaments surely this is the conclusive argument in favour.