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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Brown 'treating people as fools' | Brown 'treating people as fools' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| David Cameron has accused Gordon Brown of "treating the British people as fools" in not calling a snap election. | David Cameron has accused Gordon Brown of "treating the British people as fools" in not calling a snap election. |
| Mr Brown told the BBC he had had a "duty" to consider whether to hold an election, but decided against it so he could show his "vision" for Britain. | Mr Brown told the BBC he had had a "duty" to consider whether to hold an election, but decided against it so he could show his "vision" for Britain. |
| But the Tory leader said the PM "was not being straight... everybody knows he is not having an election because there's a danger of him losing it". | But the Tory leader said the PM "was not being straight... everybody knows he is not having an election because there's a danger of him losing it". |
| Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell accused Mr Brown of a "loss of nerve". | Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell accused Mr Brown of a "loss of nerve". |
| Mr Brown's announcement to the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that there would not be an election came as a poll published by Sunday's News of the World suggests the Tories are ahead by 6% in marginal seats, with the party overall at 44% against Labour's 38%. | Mr Brown's announcement to the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that there would not be an election came as a poll published by Sunday's News of the World suggests the Tories are ahead by 6% in marginal seats, with the party overall at 44% against Labour's 38%. |
| Translated into a general election, it would mean a hung Parliament with Labour holding 306 seats and the Tories 246. | Translated into a general election, it would mean a hung Parliament with Labour holding 306 seats and the Tories 246. |
| A poll carried out for the Sunday Times suggested the Tories had taken a three-point lead. | A poll carried out for the Sunday Times suggested the Tories had taken a three-point lead. |
| 'Vision' | 'Vision' |
| Mr Brown revealed his decision not to call an election in an interview with Mr Marr on Saturday in Downing Street. | Mr Brown revealed his decision not to call an election in an interview with Mr Marr on Saturday in Downing Street. |
| The reason the prime minister has cancelled this election is that the Conservative Party is making the arguments about the changes this country needs David Cameron Reaction to decision in quotes Cameron reaction | |
| The prime minister was asked by Andrew Marr whether he could also rule out an election in 2008. | The prime minister was asked by Andrew Marr whether he could also rule out an election in 2008. |
| Mr Brown said: "I think it's very unlikely that this will happen in the next period." | Mr Brown said: "I think it's very unlikely that this will happen in the next period." |
| Mr Brown said an election could have been held based on "competency" in dealing with crises such as foot-and-mouth, terrorism and floods, but he wanted to develop housing, health and education. | Mr Brown said an election could have been held based on "competency" in dealing with crises such as foot-and-mouth, terrorism and floods, but he wanted to develop housing, health and education. |
| He said: "I'll not be calling an election. I have a vision for change in Britain and I want to show people how in government we're implementing it." | He said: "I'll not be calling an election. I have a vision for change in Britain and I want to show people how in government we're implementing it." |
| He added: "I want the chance in the next phase of my premiership to develop and show people the policies that are going to make a huge difference and make a change in the whole country itself." | He added: "I want the chance in the next phase of my premiership to develop and show people the policies that are going to make a huge difference and make a change in the whole country itself." |
| 'Terrible mess' | 'Terrible mess' |
| Speculation had been mounting that the prime minister would call a November election after changes to parliamentary announcements, and after the Labour Party recruited staff to man an election campaign. | Speculation had been mounting that the prime minister would call a November election after changes to parliamentary announcements, and after the Labour Party recruited staff to man an election campaign. |
| This is a considerable embarrassment for Gordon Brown BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in full Send us your comments | This is a considerable embarrassment for Gordon Brown BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in full Send us your comments |
| Mr Brown denied that he had been put off calling one because of favourable polls for the Conservatives, insisting: "We would win an election, in my view, whether we had it today, next week or weeks after." | Mr Brown denied that he had been put off calling one because of favourable polls for the Conservatives, insisting: "We would win an election, in my view, whether we had it today, next week or weeks after." |
| "When you are prime minister and you have the power to make this decision, people come to you and say 'you must consider it' and you've got to consider it because you have to exercise power with responsibility." | "When you are prime minister and you have the power to make this decision, people come to you and say 'you must consider it' and you've got to consider it because you have to exercise power with responsibility." |
| He said he had a responsibility to listen to the British people - and he said they wanted to see him "get on with the job" rather than holding an election. | He said he had a responsibility to listen to the British people - and he said they wanted to see him "get on with the job" rather than holding an election. |
| 'Bottled it' | 'Bottled it' |
| But Mr Cameron said: "The reason the prime minister has cancelled this election is that the Conservative Party is making the arguments about the changes this country needs. People are responding very positively to our proposals." | But Mr Cameron said: "The reason the prime minister has cancelled this election is that the Conservative Party is making the arguments about the changes this country needs. People are responding very positively to our proposals." |
| Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said: "The Labour Party promised us at the last election that Tony Blair would serve the full term and then there would be an election. | Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said: "The Labour Party promised us at the last election that Tony Blair would serve the full term and then there would be an election. |
| I think in the end everyone got a bit carried away by it, media included Tony McNultyHome Office minister class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7032371.stm">Lib Dems 'expected good poll' class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7032410.stm">Inheritance tax 'looked at' class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7032432.stm">Iraq statement defended | |
| "Well, Tony Blair's gone, the new guy's in charge, he's been there for a while now. He's deliberately stoked up speculation about an election and now he's gone and bottled it." | "Well, Tony Blair's gone, the new guy's in charge, he's been there for a while now. He's deliberately stoked up speculation about an election and now he's gone and bottled it." |
| Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable said: "Gordon Brown's made a terrible mess of this really and undermined his credibility. And I think actually he may regret his decision to postpone the election." | Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable said: "Gordon Brown's made a terrible mess of this really and undermined his credibility. And I think actually he may regret his decision to postpone the election." |
| But Home Office Minister Tony McNulty told BBC News 24 any decision taken by Mr Brown would have attracted "negative connotations". | But Home Office Minister Tony McNulty told BBC News 24 any decision taken by Mr Brown would have attracted "negative connotations". |
| "I think in the end everyone got a bit carried away by it, media included," he said. | "I think in the end everyone got a bit carried away by it, media included," he said. |
| "We had the strange spectacle of the Conservatives who were last week saying 'come on, bring it on, bring it on', when if you talked to them privately and in the background, the last thing they wanted was an election." | "We had the strange spectacle of the Conservatives who were last week saying 'come on, bring it on, bring it on', when if you talked to them privately and in the background, the last thing they wanted was an election." |