Election 2005: 5th May here we come
The worst kept secret in British politics has today become a fact: the general election will happen on 5th May.
This morning the Prime Minister made the short car journey to Buckingham Palace to request that Parliament be dissolved in order to allow for an election, to which she agreed.
With the Prime Minister attending the Pope's funeral on Friday at the Vatican, and the Royal wedding now moved to Saturday, it looks likely that campaigning will have to pause until Monday. All three main party leaders expected to be criss-crossing the country in an effort to gain votes, especially in tight marginal constituencies.
In the meantime, Parliament will have just three days in which to try to get as much of its legislation passed as possible, often known as "the wash". It looks likely that many high profile bills may fail, including those introducing identity cards and the Gambling Bill, although it's questionable whether the government ever expected them to succeed.
The race also looks as though it could be closer than some expected. Recent polling suggests that the Conservatives are closing the gap on Labour, providing ammunition for those pollsters who believe we may be heading for a hung parliament.
Much more coverage to come from The Rundown...
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