Brown accused of 'bottling it' over polls

The political inquest into Gordon Brown's move to kill off an autumn election is intensifying with critics slamming him for "bottling it".

The Prime Minister dramatically ruled out an early poll saying he wanted to be judged on his "long-term vision" for the country.

He put an end to weeks of fevered speculation over an early election as fresh opinion polls indicated he could have lost his Commons majority and faced a hung Parliament.

But Tory leader David Cameron said the PM was "not being straight" with the public and had been pushed into his decision by polls showing he could lose his Commons majority.

And Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell accused him of putting party politics above the national interest.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith - one of those MPs who the polls predicted would be unseated - insisted the decision had been taken "in the best interests of the country".

She said: "My experience of the last three months is that when he has to make tough decisions he has invariably made them in a way that has been right for the country."

And Chancellor Alistair Darling said Mr Brown was right that voters wanted the Government to "get on with the job of governing" and rejected suggestions the PM had been damaged by the affair.

However, when pressed, Mr Brown's own deputy Harriet Harman conceded that the episode could be detrimental for the Prime Minister.

She said: "I don't think it should damage him at all." But asked if it may have done nonetheless, she replied: "Well, you know, we'll see."

Insisting he had been confident of winning at the ballot box, Mr Brown said he had not wanted to be tested on "competence" alone.

Mr Brown justified his decision because he wanted to show people his "vision" for the future of this country.

"I think I had a responsibility to consider it, to listen to what people were saying, to listen to what the opposition parties were saying, to listen to what people in my own party wanting an election were saying, to listen to the public. I believe the public's priority was not an election," he added.

But Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie said: "We are ready for the battle but it seems the Prime Minister is bottling it. Whenever he does pluck up the courage to go to the country, we will be waiting."

And the latest polling data showed a serious Tory resurgence had left Labour trailing by six points in 83 highly-marginal seats vital to securing a win.

The ICM survey for the News of the World suggested Mr Cameron's party would have deposed no fewer than 49 Labour MPs, including Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

It put the Conservatives on 44 per cent - a score that would have seen the PM's Commons majority wiped out and resulted in a hung parliament.

They were also ahead in two other polls - enjoying a three-point lead in a YouGov survey for the Sunday Times and a one point advantage in BPIX poll for the Mail on Sunday.

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