Stop your dithering Gordon

WHAT are you waiting for Prime Minister? The power to manipulate Britain's fragmented constitution by holding an election when you think you have the best chance to win is yours alone.

All this dithering about a date is starting to make you look weak and undecided. If you want to risk a poll, amid charges of cutting and running before economic bad news and voter disquit on why an election is needed on dark nights when there is no need for a vote until 2010, go ahead. Don't bame me if it ends in tears.

All the opinion polls point to a large majority for Labour, and although the Tories appear to be shattered and in disarray, they may surprise you by doing well in London, the south, the east, and the south-west. Because of Scotland and the north, the Tories cannot possibly win the election, but they could run Labour close.

Anyway:

So that's Bournemouth for another year. It's off to Blackpool on Saturday, but it looks like being a horrendous journey because of engineering work on the West Coast Main Line. National Rail Enquiries suggest changing at either Birmingham New Street or Wolverhampton, not a particular welcome prospect. It'll put hours on the journey.

I suoppose that'suppose that's all of the fun of it. Let's hope the Tories have some antics up their sleeve to enliven our few days on the Irish Sea coast.