London: Britain on Tuesday announced it would hold General Elections on May 6 in what is being billed as one of the most hotly-contested fights between the ruling Labour led by Gordon Brown and opposition Conservatives, with opinion polls saying the verdict might throw up a hung Parliament.
"The Queen has kindly agreed to the dissolution of Parliament and the general election will take place on May 6," Prime Minister Brown, accompanied by his Cabinet members, announced on the footsteps of 10, Downing Street.
He stated this after his 22-minute meeting with Queen Elizabeth at the Buckingham Palace, amidst intense speculation that the ruling Labour party would bow out after a record 13 years in power.
The announcement sparked hectic activity across the political spectrum and corridors of power in Westminster.
Brown, whose Labour is seeking a historic fourth term in office, goes to the election with the claim that he is best suited to take Britain out of recession, while Conservative leader David Cameron promises change and undoing of the alleged mistakes made by the government.
Opinion polls have thrown up two alternatives: a clear Conservative victory or a hung Parliament. No poll in recent times has suggested a Labour victory under Brown.
In the event of Labour or Conservative not winning a majority, the Liberal Democrats will have a key say in the formation of the next government - a nightmare scenario feared by economists and financial observers.
Economy remains the number one election issue while the Brown government has also made some tough announcements in recent months on the sensitive issue of immigration.
For the first time in Britain, leaders of the three main parties - Brown (Labour), Cameron (Conservative) and Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrats) - will hold three live US-style television debates before the elections.
Cameron, who promised 'real change' and a 'whole new economic model', said today: "You don't have to put up with another five years of Gordon Brown".
Insisting that the Conservative party did not have what it takes to pull Britain out of recession, Brown said: "The people have fought too hard to get Britain on the road to recovery to allow anybody to take us back to the road to recession."
According to Clegg, the election will be the "beginning of the end for Gordon Brown", and claimed Brown was "directly and personally responsible for the biggest mistakes of the last 13 years".
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