Gordon Must be Green with Envy

Brown must be feeling very envious of David Cameron today. Forced into a humiliating U-turn on calling an Autumn election (whilst pretending he could have held one based on his "competence") and denying the polls from the marginals showing the Conservatives ahead had any influence on his decision, he must be rueing the day he allowed those two gargoyles - Eds Balls and Miliband - to sit on his shoulders and whisper in his ears : "Go for it, Gordon. You can keep us (and our families) in power for ever."

Compared to Brown's, Cameron's team has played a brilliant game this week and all the signs are that events over the next week will conspire to build the pressure on Brown.

The next week will be a long time in politics for Gordon. But what rat (sic) will he pull out of his hat - as he surely will?

More funding for the NHS than previously estimated? (Although it is reported that this will result in £200 a year rise in council tax.) Is he that stupid?

Some other clever personal tax reduction wheeze - other than the one already announced for April which will, in fact, reduce the income of low paid workers? What could it be?

Or, how about a swingeing tax on private equity? No, even he's not that stupid.

How about increasing the size of the Army? And giving them a big pay rise (in two or three years time, if he's true to form)?

A review of the need for ID cards? That would be a corker.

And the ultimate - agreeing to a referendum on the EU Treaty? That might be a bridge too far!

Whatever it is, it has to cut the middle ground from under the Conservatives or they will get him on the ropes.

Let's hope the Cameron team has been thinking ahead.