Speculation won't go away

NO matter where you go in Bournemouth, the chat is only about one thing: will he or won't he? It's absorbing watching Cabinet ministers briefing their favoured journalists (from the national media) -  tomorrow's newspapers will make fascinating reading.

My hunch is that Brown and his allies are playing mind games with the Tories and Lib Dems. But if an election is called this week, will the Tory conference take place? On the one hand, it would save me an awful train journey up north, disrupted by weekend engineerig work. But is it "playing the game" for Labour to hold its conference and wreck the main opposition's week at the sea? It could rebound on Brown if he does call an October 25 poll - especially among Blackpool landladies, who will be suddenly left with 10,000 cancelled bedrooms to fill.