Blair to name poll day

Blair prepares to name poll day

Tony Blair is expected to go to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday
Tony Blair is finally expected to name 5 May as election day and officially kick-start a month-long poll campaign.
The prime minister is likely to go to Buckingham Palace to ask the Queen to dissolve Parliament next week ready for the election.

He delayed announcing the poll date by 24 hours because of the Pope's death.

The campaign's start will spark a rush for the government to get its remaining legislation through Parliament. Some key bills are likely to fall.

LIKELY TIMETABLE
Tuesday: Prime minister expected to ask Queen to dissolve Parliament and announce a 5 May poll
Wednesday: Last prime minister's questions
Thursday: Possible last day when Parliament sits
Saturday:Campaigning suspended for royal wedding
Monday: Parliament formally dissolved


Likely campaign timetable
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The election date has been widely tipped for months with the parties mounting a busy pre-poll campaign blitz.

Mr Blair is expected to ask the Queen to dissolve Parliament formally next Monday - from that point there will be no MPs.

A Populus poll for The Times on Tuesday put the Conservatives up three points to 35%, with Labour slipping two to 37 and the Liberal Democrats down to one at 19. It questioned 1,513 people at the weekend for the poll.

A Guardian/ICM poll suggests that Tony Blair has a three point lead over Michael Howard with Labour on 37%, the Tories on 34% and the Lib Dems on 21%.

ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,507 adults aged 18 and over by telephone from 1-3 April.

The Independent's NOP poll between Friday and Sunday puts Labour on 36, the Tories on 33 and the Lib Dems on 21.

MPs and peers are likely to sit in Parliament only until Thursday or Friday this week.

ID cards plans

Business managers from the government and opposition parties will have to discuss which outstanding pieces of legislation can be passed this week.

The government introduced 28 bills after last year's Queen's Speech - about half of them may not get through.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke has already admitted his controversial plans for identity cards and a new offence of incitement to religious hatred may have to be shelved.

The Tory leader in the Lords, Lord Strathclyde, said he believed plans for ID cards were a "likely casualty" of the prime minister calling the election a year early.

The incitement plan is part of the Serious Organised Crime Bill, which includes setting up a British-style FBI.

VULNERABLE LAW PLANS
Identity Cards Bill
Incitement to religious hatred offence in Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill
Gambling overhaul
Clean Neighbourhoods Bill
Charities Bill
Criminal Defence Service
Crossrail Bill
Equality Bill
European Union Bill
International Organisations Bill
Management of Offenders and Sentencing Bill
Mental Capacity Bill
National Lottery Bill
Road Safety Bill

Plans to overhaul UK gambling laws, including allowing super casinos are also vulnerable in Parliament's "mopping up period".

The government also needs to pass its Finance Bill, which contains measures announced in the Budget.

Chancellor Gordon Brown will trumpet his Budget in an early morning campaign speech in London about Britain's economic future.

The Conservatives are waiting for Mr Blair's announcement before finalising their plans but will step up their campaigning if the election is called.

Tory leader Michael Howard has said his priorities are more police, lower taxes, cleaner hospitals and school discipline.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy will launch his party's election campaign by beginning a nationwide tour.

Mr Kennedy will visit Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh and Norwich with his message that the Lib Dems are the "real alternative".

Wales and Scotland

In Wales, Plaid Cymru MP Simon Thomas will stress the dangers of using "fear" to gain votes as he visits a Cardiff mosque to highlight policies to appeal to ethnic minorities.

The Scottish National Party launches its campaign, based on "trust", in Dundee on Wednesday.

Once the election is called, the Green Party will reveal how successful it has been in its effort to contest more seats at this election.

The UK Independence Party is filming an election broadcast on Tuesday. It says its campaign will focus on the effect unlimited immigration from within the EU will affect British public services.