Be careful what you wish for ...
David Cameron is calling for an immediate general election to allow people to vote on whether or not they support the Government's strategy for getting us through recession. The Conservative leader, developing the theme of "Tory sound money" he first unveiled at his party's Manchester conference in early October, condemns Gordon Brown's plan to borrow his way through the downturn, claiming that it could make the recession worse.
I don't believe there will be a snap election but Mr Cameron should be careful that what he wishes for does not come true. A poll in today's Times shows the Tory lead down to four points and the Tories under the benchmark 40% they need for a working majority (Tories 39%, Labour 35%, Lib Dems 17%). The poll also shows Mr Brown and Chancellor Darling well ahead of Mr Cameron and Shadow Chancellor Osborne (40% to 31%) as the team most trusted to to deal with the recession.
This is a bad poll for the Tories, the only comfort they can take is hoping it might be a rogue. But my guess is it's still not good enough for Labour for Mr Brown to risk all in an early throw of the dice.
Also on the show today, after last summer's ban on smoking in public places the government announces the next wave of anti-smoking measures, including , in an attempt to reduce the number of young people who start smoking. We hope to be speaking to Health Secretary Alan Johnson about why he's ignoring the pleas of small businesses who say the moves could hit their income just as the recession starts to bite. 
After yesterday's , we ask - do peaceful political protests ever achieve anything? Veteran political campaigner Tony Benn will be here.
And we report from Sheffield on the changes to the benefits system due to be announced by the Government tomorrow.
All that on the Daily Politics on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳2 from Noon today.
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