Should they call for a General election?

[Abigail]

I had a titter to myself on facebook earlier. Somebody commented that this could be the start of something new, voting a party in then finding out who the cabinet and leader are next week.

The Queen and her advisers can't be overly worried about the state of the country and government otherwise she'd have dissolved Parliament by now.

Maybe there just isn't enough money in the pot to dissolve parliament and let parties run massive campagnes in the current climate

[Perdita]

I don't think the Queen can disolve parliament, I think she needs to be asked by the PM. I concur with the comments about the European elections, if a General Election was to take place now, a lot of people might vote for a party that manages to pull the wool over voter's eyes by wording their pamphlets very cleverly so that potential voters might not realise what the party really wants to do and what their manifesto is.

[Abbie]

I still hope they call for one, what with loads of people quitting, it just sounds like things are a mess
Plus its all I hear about on the radio

[Abigail]

After today's result I sincerely hope an election isn't called in the forthcoming months. Going by what's happened today, the Tories will win.

Labour needs to get it's house in order, sort out the Cabinet situation and get back on track if they have any chance of winning the next election. Several Cabinet ministers have quit today, one even called for Brown to step aside for the future of the party.

Labour isn't my first choice but I hope to hell the Tories don't gain any more power in this country than they have today.

[Chloe O'brien]

A General Election would be a major disaster for the country if it was called during the next few months. Gordon Brown needs to stand his ground and take authority if he has not got total loyalty from his MP's If they are not committed to him and the party then ship them out. He needs loyal MP's to help him get this country back on it's feet.

[alan45]

A General Election would be a major disaster for the country if it was called during the next few months. Gordon Brown needs to stand his ground and take authority if he has not got total loyalty from his MP's If they are not committed to him and the party then ship them out. He needs loyal MP's to help him get this country back on it's feet.

Unfortunately for Comrade Brown he does not have the total loyalty of the Parliamentary Labour Party and neither he nor his party enjoy widespread public support for the way they have mishandled the Banks and the economy in general. The sooner we have a general election the better for us all. Brown is just clinging on now but its just a question of time and I think we will have an announcement within the next two weeks. The only reason Alan Johnston didnt want the leadership job is because he knows that Labour will lose the next election. My be is that when Labour become her Majestys opposition (assuming they beat the Lib Dems) the Johnston will step forward.

[di marco]

tbh i think anyone who doesnt want to vote labour in the next election will want an election now so they can get rid of them. anyone who would still want labour in power wont want one atm seeing as it would be unlikely that they would win. at least id like gordon brown to step down as leader

[Abigail]

If Brown steps down and Labour appoint a new leader, there will be a general election in the autumn. Going by yesterday's results, Labour will lose to the Tories.

I'm not sure they will get 72 signatures to force a challenge on the leadership on Wednesday. I hope they don't, the idea of the Tories in power is something I'm not comfortable with.

In the 1991 general election, critics said John Major would lose. He won another term in office. Labour are still in with a chance if they can turn themselves around, sort out the cabinet and get back on track.

There's very little a new leader can do in four months to change the public's perception of the party. Labour have nine months to work hard. Brown should step down at the next election though and let somebody else lead.

[Chloe O'brien]

Gordon Brown's mistake was being Indecisive when he took over as Prime Minister three years ago and the press picked up on it and have been hounding him ever since. If he was going to call a General Election he should have done then, worse case scenario he would maybe have lost 50 MPs but at least he would have put his stamp on the cabinet, and the whole country would have turned out to vote. This weekends results with the Euro Elections are a classic sign that voters are panic voting. Does anyone really believe that voters would support the BNP policies and vote for them if everything was rosy in No 10. No and that is why a general election would be totally worng for the economy and for the public. There is no one better in the Labour Party to run this country apart from Mr Brown and the whole country needs to start beleving in him again and and when the time comes to call an election get to the ballot box and vote him in for another term. We can't let David Cameron and his Tories run the country and with voters staying away or wasting their vote is exactly what we they are doing.

[alan45]

Have to disagree with you Kath. Cameron and the Tories would make a far better job of running the country than the failed entity that is New Labour. The likes of David Milliband and Andrew Johnston are just biding their time to take over from Comrade Brown. They know the party is finished for now and thats why they dont challenge his leadership. Once the General Election is over and the Tories get elected then they will make their move to oust Gordon. Just wait and see.