Anthony Barnett (London, OK): On the Today programme Brown tells us, "I am getting on with the business of government and I think people will see by what I say today and what I do in the future that what's on my mind is making this country successful in the future."
Is this true? If it is, winning the next election is NOT on his mind.
He also said, "There will be a time and a place for a general election, but it is not now."
But the BBC reports that his remarks are seen as raising the prospects of an October election. Because he also told Today: "I have to say there will be no announcement today...I am getting on with the business of government...If there were to be an election, the first person I would tell is not you...it would be HM the Queen and I have not done that...There will be a time and a place for these things, but it is not now".
Meanwhile, he is also calling for "A new type of politics", with so-called citizens juries and citizens summits to help on different policy areas.
Lots to talk about here, but it is not - yet - a "new politics". For a start toying with the date of an election while pretending not to is very old politics indeed. The Prime Minister should not have the power to cash in on swings of opinion in this manner. We need grown-up fixed term elections of four years. As the UK has a parliamentary not a presidential system, there needs to be an override clause if the government cannot command a majority. But the right to call an election should not be in the hands of single person. Gordon Brown started his premiership by telling us that he wanted to rid the country of archaic prerogative powers and this is one of them.
PS: Nick Robinson has just made a similar point about new politics, old gambits and not not declaring that there will not be an election, over on his BBC blog where he also asks some sharp and justified questions about citizens juries.
