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# Is Labour gearing up to go early?
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/is-labour-gearing-up-to-go-early/
- Published: 2009-01-12T23:01:10.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:42:35.000Z
- Author: Tom Griffin
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:49

**Tom Griffin (London,** [**OK**](https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom)**):** [Mike Smithson](http://politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2009/01/12/populus/?ref=opendemocracy.net) believes that Labour's poor showing in today's Populus poll means a 2009 election is off the agenda, but not everyone is so convinced. One opposition source points to the [Labour website](http://www.labour.org.uk/new%5Fjob?ref=opendemocracy.net), where the party is recruiting campaign assistants on 9-month contracts immediately. They suggest this is evidence that Labour is gearing up for a May or June election.

Given the state of the polls such a move would mean accepting the likelihood of a hung Parliament, which might explain the manouvreings described by [Anthony Barnett](https://www.opendemocracy.net/blog/email/tom-griffin/2009/01/03/a-lib-lab-pact) and [Peter Oborne](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1104524/PETER-OBORNE-Ditch-Speaker-Martin-make-Vince-Cable-Chancellor-freeze-Tories--Browns-masterplan-2009.html?ref=opendemocracy.net).