Not an election please

wonder who will get George Galloway

Alan Johnson stood down of his own volition as he didn't want to still be an MP in his seventies.
Is he not allowed to say that, Annie?

I wish Annie thought the same as your father, grannypiper. She can't stop mentioning Corbyn.

What I'm hoping for early doors is for Labour and the LDs to spell out their definitions of a soft Brexit.

Jen, again I hsve to explain - they all say that, Corbyn will respond with his regrets and gratitude , keep checking Corbyns hit list

Alan Johnson was my MP for ten years. Please give him some credit for knowing his own mind.
Not everything is about Corbyn, you know.

labourlist.org/2017/04/this-a-choice-between-austerity-hard-brexit-tories-and-corbyns-labour-committed-to-transforming-britain/

Well I think the Tories will transform Britain won't they? ( Just not in a good way )

And I don't see any signs of Britain uniting anytime soon. It's more divided than at any time since the Civil War.

My apologies Jen, I thought your world revolved around Corbyn.

Should the Tories who are under investigation of election fraud at the 2015 election be allowed to stand this time?

And when would be the best time for the DPP to charge them?

If found guilty no.

I do hope there will be a close look at what each party is standing on.

I imagine the Tories will no longer promise no changes to NICs and I wonder if they will promise a double lock rather than a triple lock for pensions - not sure if they will dare to do that however much they want to. Will their be words that allow them to alter/get rid of the additional universal benefits for pensioners?

Will Labour be able to offer something which clearly shows the gap between the working rich and the working poor can be closed?

Will any of them talk honestly about the numbers of disabled people and what we expect of them?

Will the Lib Dems talk about anything other than not leaving the single market and customs union - important though that is?

Will it come to the fore that this is as opportunistic as Cameron calling the referendum and will it split to country even more?

Will I loath IDS even more at the end of all this?

I'm sure you will as you seem determined to!

Isn't it time IDS resigned to spend more time with his family?

About the election fraud.

" For the CPS, nothing changes. Prosecutors do not have long to make a decision on whether to charge the MPs - there is a different deadline in each case but the first charging decision must be made by May 20 and the others in the following fortnight.

Parliament is likely to be dissolved in barely two weeks' time, on May 3, and accused MPs may no longer be MPs when they learn their fate.

There is no suggestion that Theresa May or the Conservative Party knows what the CPS will do next. The Mirror understands that there are no imminent announcements. But the lawyers will have advised the MPs on the likely outcomes.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said the announcement of the snap election would have no impact on the timing of decisions on whether to press charges."

First deadline May 20th and the rest in two weeks after that.

I'm with you gg and IDS. Grr!!!!

The Libdems could mention this, Gracesgran.

"Politically, it is more difficult. It all depends on what the CPS decides and when. The latest possible deadline for candidates to file their nomination papers is May 12. If there is no decision on charges before then, it will be up to the individual politicians to decide whether to stand for re-election with this cloud over their heads.

Professor Fisher said today: "I suspect they will stand but you wouldn't want to be in their position. If they are charged and it happens quickly, I suspect they would stand down. If it doesn't happen sufficiently quickly, I suspect they will carry on regardless because it will be too late to change the candidate.

"If we see charges then, politically, it will be very, very damaging. The biggest threat to the Tories in most of these seats comes from the Lib Dems. The election could turn out to be a considerable miscalculation if a lot of them are charged in the immediate period before the general election. But I would be surprised if all of them were." "

I can't believe that May forgot about this, or didn't think it mattered. It's a bit like trump trying to pretend his tax returns don't matter.
How can she hold an election with this hanging over her party?

Thank you Jane10, for that graceful answer

She can hold an election if MP's vote for an election today, that simple

theconversation.com/gloomy-economic-outlook-is-why-theresa-may-was-forced-to-call-a-snap-election-76367

I bet the Tories still go on about how only they can be trusted with the economy, and all the MSM papers agree with them, despite the evidence.

Unfortunately, IDS is only 63, so still has another parliament to last.
Can't Betsy tell him she wants him home more?
Or maybe she doesn't!

Another two? He is five years younger than Corbyn

I'm afraid they will still be going on about being the only ones to be trusted with the economy and most people aren't that interested in politics so will believe what their papers tell them Jen.

If a judge criticised the CPS for being overly influenced by rich parents in an unsuccessful rape case what chance is there that they will manage a prosecution against a political party that is entirely composed of the rich and powerful?
As for the economy of course she needs an election now, in 2020 when we are Brexited there will be no-one else to blame. This way at least they get another couple of years.

Not really an election is it, we don't get to choose who we want in charge, just a guesstimate of the lesser of two evils on the day.