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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| PM to assess election prospects | PM to assess election prospects |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to spend the day in Downing Street with his advisors, assessing whether to call a general election next month. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to spend the day in Downing Street with his advisors, assessing whether to call a general election next month. |
| Speculation has been mounting that he will call a November election after he announced plans to make a statement to MPs on Iraq on Monday. | Speculation has been mounting that he will call a November election after he announced plans to make a statement to MPs on Iraq on Monday. |
| An announcement on the government's long-term spending plans has also been brought forward to Tuesday. | An announcement on the government's long-term spending plans has also been brought forward to Tuesday. |
| The Tories and Lib Dems will spend the day promoting their key policies. | The Tories and Lib Dems will spend the day promoting their key policies. |
| Mr Brown is expected to spend time analysing the latest polling information with his senior advisors. | Mr Brown is expected to spend time analysing the latest polling information with his senior advisors. |
| Private polling | Private polling |
| The newspapers on Saturday contain detailed data on surveys of voter views first published on Friday. | The newspapers on Saturday contain detailed data on surveys of voter views first published on Friday. |
| Labour is also expected to be looking at private polling carried out in marginal seats. | Labour is also expected to be looking at private polling carried out in marginal seats. |
| Tory leader David Cameron will meet voters in Oxford, while Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell will address his party's Scottish conference in Glasgow. | Tory leader David Cameron will meet voters in Oxford, while Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell will address his party's Scottish conference in Glasgow. |
| Speculation has mounted over Mr Brown's intentions since it was announced the government's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) - which sets long-term spending plans - and pre-Budget report (PBR) will be brought forward to Tuesday. | Speculation has mounted over Mr Brown's intentions since it was announced the government's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) - which sets long-term spending plans - and pre-Budget report (PBR) will be brought forward to Tuesday. |
| This is the last day on which Mr Brown can call an election for 1 November. The two dates most widely touted for an election are 1 and 8 November. | This is the last day on which Mr Brown can call an election for 1 November. The two dates most widely touted for an election are 1 and 8 November. |
| Brown would be mad - and he isn't - to let his fate rest on one set of polls BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in full | Brown would be mad - and he isn't - to let his fate rest on one set of polls BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in full |
| The CSR and PBR had been expected later in the month. | The CSR and PBR had been expected later in the month. |
| Tuesday's CSR - only the second since Labour came to power in 1997 - will set out the government's spending policies and priorities for the next decade or so. | Tuesday's CSR - only the second since Labour came to power in 1997 - will set out the government's spending policies and priorities for the next decade or so. |
| In the pre-Budget report, Chancellor Alistair Darling is thought likely to downgrade the forecast for the growth of the UK economy in 2008. | In the pre-Budget report, Chancellor Alistair Darling is thought likely to downgrade the forecast for the growth of the UK economy in 2008. |
| Falling lead | Falling lead |
| Recent opinion polls have suggested that Labour's lead over the Conservatives has fallen. | Recent opinion polls have suggested that Labour's lead over the Conservatives has fallen. |
| An ICM poll for the Guardian newspaper indicates that Conservative and Labour are level - on 38% - compared with a 7% lead for Labour one month ago. | An ICM poll for the Guardian newspaper indicates that Conservative and Labour are level - on 38% - compared with a 7% lead for Labour one month ago. |
| The poll surveyed 1,008 adults on Wednesday and Thursday, after David Cameron's address to the Conservative conference in Blackpool. | The poll surveyed 1,008 adults on Wednesday and Thursday, after David Cameron's address to the Conservative conference in Blackpool. |
| Meanwhile, the results of an earlier YouGov survey for Channel 4 News - which interviewed 1,741 people, also on Wednesday and Thursday - suggested the government, on 40%, was four points ahead of the Tories compared with a lead of 11 points last week. | Meanwhile, the results of an earlier YouGov survey for Channel 4 News - which interviewed 1,741 people, also on Wednesday and Thursday - suggested the government, on 40%, was four points ahead of the Tories compared with a lead of 11 points last week. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Politicians invariably call snap general elections when it suits their own political ambitions Brian Agnew, Preston Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY Politicians invariably call snap general elections when it suits their own political ambitions Brian Agnew, Preston Send us your comments |
| Alan Duncan, the shadow business and enterprise secretary, told BBC Radio Five Live the prime minister had "painted himself into a corner" over whether to call an election. | |
| He added: "We're less interested in the plight of Gordon Brown as in what we would do in government and that's really what we're working on in addition to being ready with a campaign". | |
| Lord Rennard, who is in charge of the Liberal Democrats' election campaigns, said if he had the choice he would call a general election "to stop the appearance of dithering". | |
| He also said if he was in Mr Brown's position he would "want a mandate from people for whatever new policies I was bringing forward". | |