Libertas.org

There is huge suspicion among political and journalistic circles that Prime Minster Gordon Brown may called a General Election in the coming days, with an election to occur towards the end of the month. The Labour Party is riding high in the polls, yesterday’s Observer reported that Labour is enjoying a seven point lead over the Tories.

“Labour is on 41 per cent, the Conservatives on 34 per cent and the Lib Dems on 16 per cent. ”

If a General Election is called in the coming weeks - this may work against the interests of the pro-referendum campaigning. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are both calling on the UK Parliament to ratifty the treaty, whereas Cameron is supporting calls for a referendum, pushing his party firmly behind the stance.

Many people will remember the last time the Tory Party made Europe a key election issue. Under William Hague, the party called the general election of 2001 a referendum on keeping the pound, Hague resigned immediately following the General Election defeat.

If Cameron makes the treaty a key election pledge, and is defeated for a multitude of reasons, by his strong association with the campaign for a referendum, he could, in effect, bury any chance for a popular vote in the UK.

This may clearly be a strong factor in the mind of Brown as he speaks to his pollsters (and possibly the Queen) this week.