From the archive: PM ‘to decide’ over snap election - 28 September, 2007

GORDON Brown has called a “council of war” with his top political advisers and strategists this weekend, the meeting at which the Prime Minister could make the decision on whether to gamble his three-month premiership on an autumn election.

It emerged yesterday that he has convened the meeting to review Labour’s private polling data in the wake of what party chiefs believe has been a stunningly successful Bournemouth conference. The conference closed yesterday with the veteran minister Jack Straw hailing the party’s mood as being possibly the most positive he has seen in 35 years. Mr Straw even compared Labour today to the euphoric days that followed Tony Blair’s 1997 general election win. Speculation of an autumn election intensified after a minister said there was an 80 per cent chance of an imminent poll and the Labour Party issued a call to arms to campaign workers.