Sorry, Brenda,but..

ANY FROG IN THROAT FOR KEN? On your marks for election as tensions grow

REMEMBER Brenda? The 75-year-old from Bristol was asked last year how she felt about a general election.

She said: “Not another one. Oh, for God’s sake. Honestly, I can’t stand this. There’s too much politics going on at the moment.”

Well Brenda, I am starting to worry this is not going to be your year.

Last weekend reports surfaced that there could be an election at some point in the next few months.

They were laughed off and dismissed as speculation. But there is growing talk of a snap vote in Westminster and what was an outside chance is now looking more likely.

Ready

The pound fell dramatically at the thought of another election.

And insiders from both parties tell me that there are preparations going on for a poll in the autumn. Probably November. This is not a prediction – let’s be clear on that.

I lost enough money on the 2015 election, Brexit and 2017 to put me off for life. It’s just that where people were saying, “It won’t happen” they are now saying, “It could happen”.

And on both sides there are serious preparations going on.

Labour pledged to keep itself on a “war footing” since last time round.

Behind the scenes they are clicking into gear. New staff have been taken on, their community organising programme is up and running, policy is being worked on. They are KEN Livingstone finally decided he would resign from the Labour Party this week.

It brought a mixed reaction but the majority were happy to see him go.

Jeremy Corbyn still called it “sad” and others pointed to Ken’s status as a leading figure getting ready. And it’s the same among the Tories. Some backbenchers have already spoken to their local party to make sure they are ready to stand again in the autumn. One insider I spoke to told me plans had been in place “for months”. As the vicious infighting over Brexit has continued, they have let the genie out of the bottle. When something is this far advanced, to pull out of it would look weak, like the Tories

WILL Donald Trump’s talks with North Korea happen? The much anticipated summit was seen by many as a crucial step to peace in the region. But the prospect of talks was always on a knife-edge.

After all, why would anybody want to negotiate with a despotic man-child whose erratic manner and reckless behaviour threatens the future of the entire planet? And Kim Jong-un’s not that great either. in Labour’s history. As Mayor of London he was involved in the Olympic bid, was strong in the aftermath of the 7/7 terror attack and revolutionised transport in the capital.

But for most, he will be remembered for the strange behaviour and controversial are running scared of Corbyn. But as the great philosopher Farage once said: “Predictions are a mug’s game.” So here is what could, might, possibly, be just about to happen. And what people are planning for.

Theresa May cannot secure a decent Brexit deal that satisfies those who want to leave and those who want to stay in.

Parliament rejects the offer and a general election is triggered.

Whether May leads the Tories into it or not is another question. There are people on manoeuvres and other public statements of the past few years.

As one MP said to me: “I’m glad to see the back of him, to be honest.

“It’s a bit like Paul Mccartney – all those fantastic records and then he ends up writing the frog song. Unforgiveable.” vultures circling. But, most likely, Brexit will do for May what it did for Cameron, and claim a second victim.

The election would be a short, sharp and brutal thing. Maybe four weeks tops. And the result is anyone’s guess.

Voters like Brenda, pictured left, will be asked to turn out again. And, like Brenda, they’re pretty fed up of it. So the potential result is unclear. But working off that timetable, it could all be over by Christmas.

Although I have heard that somewhere before... LAST week I mentioned in passing that I thought Benedict Cumberbatch was the fourth best Sherlock Holmes.

After a number of emails I should make my position clear: Jeremy Brett, Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing (in the 1959 version of The Hound of the Baskervilles).

Elementary.