The cabinet meets today to finalise election plans, the bookies making the ominous 05/05/05 favourite. Two stories catch my eye today, the first is that the Tories no longer want to be called Tories, but Conservatives. Why not go the whole hog and call yourselves New Conservatives? Or Neo-Cons? Has a familiar ring and it seems to work well in Washington…

The second story, originally told to me by a Labour PPC, is that Labour HQ is giving candidates free licence to drop Tony Blair from their propaganda or even send out anti-Blair signals without fear of censure. Hence the Blair-free ready-made leaflets available from Labour HQ and the 17 anti-War Labour MPs stridently coming out of the closet. But don’t forget the hundreds of Labour MPs who have always voted with the PM and are still backing blair.

Its a funny old world where Tories are embarrassed to be called Tories, and Labour MPs are embarrassed to be called Blairites. Chat-show Charlie, “come on down”, at least his party plaster his face all over their poster and propaganda. Mind you, maybe thats because Kennedy’s more used to being plastered…

Guido has money riding on the LibDems, based on the scientific evidence that apart from committed political hacks, everyone he knows under 30 is going to vote for them. Guido is of course busy stirring up apathy with the slogan “Don’t Vote! It Only Encourages the Bastards.”