Inheritance Tax takes blame

The Conservaties have bounced back to level with Brown according to an ICM poll in the Guardian which gives each party 38% of the poll.

According to Brown's spinners this is entirely due to the Tory announcement on inheritance tax and the promise that only millionaires would have to pay death duties.

Now if only life was this easy, you offer someone a tax cut and they immediately are your bosom buddy for life. If this was the case Gordon would have everyone voting for him as he has handed out so many (empty) promises over the years.

Gordon will now be faced with the quandary of how to back out of an election that he has been spinning and preparing for with the least damage.

He will have to settle for the remainder of the 2 1/2 years that Labour have and face the polls in 2010, possibly even resigning before the next election, if the polls look bad, stating he has finished the job he started, and wants to pass the reins to younger blood.

His problem is that his courage has failed him again like after the loss of John Smith and during the "phoney" war with Tony Blair.

If he had had some courage he would have announced the election today before the polls came out that make it obvious he will lose much or all of his majority in Parliament. Having had his courage fail him again all excuses will be null and void apart from the fact he might lose his majority.

Cameron bounces back | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics