NO ELECTION

By Vincent Moss Political Editor Vincent.Moss@Mgn.Co.Uk, sundaymirror.co.uk 7/10/2007

Brown bottles it.. poll off until 2009

Gordon Brown faced charges of "bottling it" last night after he sensationally called off plans to hold an early General Election.

The PM also ruled out the chances of an election next year as he ended weeks of speculation over the prospect of a snap poll.

He insisted he wanted an election based on his "vision for change" - not his ability to deal with crises.

But David Cameron gleefully took to the cameras and branded the move a "humiliating retreat" and an act of "great weakness and indecision".

The PM made his decision as three polls last night all gave the Tories a lead over Labour. An ICM poll of 83 marginal seats put the Tories six points ahead, a YouGov poll gave them a three point lead and a BPIX poll put them one point ahead.

The swing to the Tories left Mr Brown facing the prospect of a hung Parliament - and the real risk of going down in history as the shortest-serving PM for almost 200 years.

The polls killed the "Brown bounce" which he has enjoyed since taking charge on June 27.

Another key factor in Mr Brown's decision was the "million missing voters" who would not have been on the electoral register in time for a November poll.

The finger of blame for the debacle was being firmly pointed last night at his election coordinator Douglas Alexander.

He was in the firing line for "talking up" the prospect of a Labour victory and failing to warn Mr Brown about the "missing" voters.

Labour's latest internal polling revealed a big rise in Tory support after Shadow Chancellor George Osborne promised big cuts in inheritance tax last week in a successful effort to woo wavering voters.

One of the PM's closest allies said: "We will take a hit over calling the election off. But it's way better than losing."

Mr Brown told the BBC: "I will not be calling an election, and let me say why. Over the summer months we have had to deal with crises - we have had to deal with foot and mouth, terrorism, floods, financial crises.

"We could have had an election based on competence. But what I want to do is show people the vision that we have for the future of this country in housing and health and education and 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 show the change in the country itself."

The ICM poll showed an election would have cost Mr Brown 49 of his MPs in marginal seats - including Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

It put the Tories on 44 per cent and Labour on 38 per cent and also found Labour voters were far less likely to turn out.

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