6 May: Election Date Announced

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by: bythesea
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Date: Sun, 30 May 2010 Time: 2:09 PM
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After what seems like an age of waiting, we finally have a date for this year's General Election. It may not come as much of a surprise to anyone who's read a newspaper in the last six months, but the polling stations will open their doors on 6 May as Britain faces what promises to be the tightest election in almost two decades.

The prime minister, Gordon Brown, has now formally requested that the Queen dissolve parliament, meaning we can now look forward to a month of campaigning and electioneering ahead of the big day. Speaking of what he admitted was "the worst-kept secret" in politics, he announced outside the door of Number 10 that "the future is within our grasp. It's a future fair for all. Now, all of us, let us get to it".

Following the prime minister's statement, Conservative Party leader David Cameron said: "Let's get off this road to ruin and instead get on the path to prosperity and progress." Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats' Nick Clegg called the election "a very exciting opportunity for everyone in Britain who wants fairness and real change, who wants something different".

The Conservatives are the odds-on favourites for victory according to bookmakers, though the likelihood of a hung parliament follows not too far behind. According to a Guardian/ICM poll published today (6 April), Labour have drawn within four points of the Tories, while many experts say that the respective fates of the three major parties could well be decided according to events in the coming month.

At Confused.com, we'll be keeping abreast of all the major moves during the election campaign and how they will affect you, so keep your eyes peeled for more on these pages.
In the meantime, check out our Q&A blog, where so far both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party have answered the questions you told us you wanted answered, with more to come.

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