BBC.CO.UK/politics
Wednesday September 13th 2017
Samuels remains evasive over continued General Election speculation
The final Prime-Minister's Questions before the Party Conference season gets underway was dominated by speculation about a snap general election today as the Prime-Minister Richard Samuels again refused to rule out an autumn poll.
Labour Leader Andrea Benn for the second week running called for the Prime-Minister "to end the damaging speculation and have the courage of his convictions and call a General election". Benn despite her party being an average of ten points behind the Government in the polls, has been in combative form last week and today at PMQ's. After taking a easy soft ball question from a Conservative back bencher which the Prime-Minister used to praise his own record "the government's record and success in economic growth, and success in education and Health is a record I am very proud of" allowing Benn to use her first question "if the Prime-Minister is the proud he should call a general election straight after we finish here in this chamber". The Prime-Minister replied "I and my government have got a programme of change for the future. We are continuing on a path of growth and successful policies, what does she have, Mr Speaker, words, she talks a good game, but went it comes down she and the party she leads have no vision, only a return to the failed policies of the past"
It does seem unlikely that the Prime-Minister will announce any election before the Party Conference which many in the party and the Cabinet had been urging him to, but that option now seems very unlikely, with the Socialist Alliance due to meet in Glasgow on Saturday and announce a new leader, which will be followed by the National Peoples party, the Liberal Democrats, Labour and finishing with the Conservatives in Blackpool on October 4th. If an election is to be called it is likely to be announced at the end of the Conservative Party conference as happened in 2013.