14 December 2009 / REUTERS, LONDON
Britain’s opposition Conservatives said on Sunday they would welcome an early election after a newspaper report that ruling Labour was gearing up for a vote in March.
The Sunday Times said Labour could opt for a March 25 election, encouraged by a poll showing the Conservatives’ lead had slipped to nine points from 13 a week ago. However, a separate poll in the Independent on Sunday, with a smaller sample, gave the center-right Conservatives a commanding 17-point lead, putting them on course to return to the power for the first time since 1997. Prime Minister Gordon Brown must hold an election by early June and most commentators expect voting to be on May 6. Opposition leader David Cameron repeated his call for the vote to be held as quickly as possible. A winter election in Britain is a rarity, making March the earliest date. ”We should have an election because we need a new government, we need a fresh start,” Cameron told Sky News.
