Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

UK Chatters About Elections as Polls Narrow

Labour's lead shrinks but Brown won't rule out an early vote

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 4, 2007 11:48 AM CDT

(Newser) – As London returns from holiday, the press and the parliament are still whispering about when Gordon Brown will call a general election. Although he can delay until as late as 2010, the Prime Minister can hold a vote any time, and British papers are debating whether he may rush it in time for autumn, while his Labour party still enjoys a thinning popularity.

Brown enjoyed a huge lead in opinion polls upon his arrival at Number 10 three months ago, but the gap between Labour and Conservatives has narrowed in the past week. The Times analyzes the figures and concludes that Brown will probably wait to dissolve Parliament. Meanwhile the Independent discusses whether the PM's prerogative to call elections is undemocratic.

[Images (5)]

[Videos (1)]

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown leaves his official residence at 10 Downing street, in central London, Wednesday, July 4, 2007, on his way to the Houses of Parliament for his first weekly Prime... (Associated Press)

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown answers questions from the media during his monthly press conference inside 10 Downing Street, London Tuesday Sept. 4, 2007. At his monthly news conference, Brown... (Associated Press)

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown gestures as he answers questions from the media during his monthly press conference inside 10 Downing Street, London Tuesday Sept. 4, 2007. At his monthly news conference,... (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Conservative Party Election Broadcast (May 2007) (webcameronuk (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Cameron, Clegg Scramble to Form UK Government

Election leaves Liberal Dems in driver's seat

(NEWSER) - Britain's winner-less election has left both the Conservatives and the Labour Party furiously negotiating with and sucking up to Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrat party, with papers just as furiously live-blogging the comings and goings. Though they actually lost seats, the Liberal Dems have the power to determine who becomes prime minister. Clegg has given himself until the end of the day to strike a deal, the Guardian reports, because he's afraid the public will rebel if he waits longer. But other Liberal Democrat sources tell the Times that it might not come until Thursday. More»

Nobody Wins UK Election

Country faces hung parliament with no clear winner

(NEWSER) - The British haven't finished counting the votes from yesterday's election yet but it's now certain that no party will gain a majority of seats in Parliament, despite a large swing of votes toward the Conservatives away from the ruling Labour Party. Britain now has a "hung parliament," in which no party has an overall majority, for the first time in decades. More»

Cameron Dominates Final UK Debate

Brown fails to make breakthrough in third televised talk-fest

(NEWSER) - Conservative leader David Cameron was widely seen as the winner of last night's third and final British election debate after Gordon Brown failed to make the breakthrough he desperately needed. The Conservative leader, in a debate focusing on the economy, promised to make sweeping budget cuts if he gains power and warned that Britain's economy is in danger of going the way of Greece's, the Washington Post reports. More»

Clegg Under Fire in 2nd UK Election Debate

Polls show Liberal Democrat leader narrowly winning Round 2

(NEWSER) - The third-party candidate who upended Britain's political landscape with a runaway victory in last week's election debate won by a narrower margin as the party leaders clashed again last night, according to polls. In a debate focused on foreign policy, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg came under fire from both David Cameron and Gordon Brown for his plan to scrap Britain's nuclear deterrent, reports the Washington Post . More»

3rd-Party Candidate Wins UK Election Debate

Clegg wins over voters as Brown, Cameron trade jabs

(NEWSER) - The leaders of both Britain's main political parties may be wishing they'd never agreed to the country's first American-style televised election debate. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg—who offered up his party as a fresh alternative to Gordon Brown's Labour and David Cameron's Conservatives—is widely seen to have won the debate by a hefty margin, the Guardian reports. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

UK Chatters About Elections as Polls Narrow