Speculation mounts over May 5 poll
Speculation is increasing that the Prime Minister will call a general election when MPs return after their Easter break.
Mr Blair is expected to visit Buckingham Palace on April 4 or 5 to ask the Queen to dissolve parliament at the end of that week.
The election campaign would then begin on April 11, and run for 17 working days until polling day on May 5.
BBC political editor Andrew Marr told BBC1’s Six O’clock News on Tuesday: “I have got it on pretty reasonable authority that Tony Blair now expects to call the election the week beginning April 4.”
But Downing Street refused to be drawn on the claim. A spokeswoman said Mr Blair would announce the election when he was ready to do so.
Parliament has a maximum duration of five years starting from its first meeting following a general election, so theoretically the Government has until June 2006 before an election has to be called.
But if the Prime Minister wants to press ahead with a May 5 poll, which would coincide with the local election, he must call an election before April 11 to allow for the 17 working days between dissolution and polling.
This will also leave the Government with very little time to push through some of the remaining parts of its legislative programme, with the Identity Cards Bill likely to be the highest casualty.
Parliament will be adjourned at the close of business on Thursday until April 4 for its Easter recess.
