James Geary: If It's Good Enough for Gordon, It's Good Enough for Me

Published: September 29, 2007, 5:44 pm

The United Kingdom is abuzz with rumors that Prime Minister Gordon Brown will call a snap election, possibly as early as next month. His Labour Party is currently around ten points ahead of the opposition Conservatives in the polls, and light years ahead of the worthy but hapless Liberal Democrats. Under Britain's parliamentary system, the serving Prime Minister has gigantic leeway regarding when to hold a vote. Of course, Brown himself was not elected Prime Minister; he inherited the position from his predecessor, Tony Blair. So the PM is said to be eager to secure a mandate of his own. A snap vote could give him just that. Or he could wait until next spring, when he will have had more time to prove just what a forceful, effective leader he is. Or he could wait until 2009, by which time the Conservatives might have completely imploded again. Or he could ... well, you get the idea. I think the British Prime Minister's ability to 'choose his moment' is a wonderful innovation that

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