Digby: Poll date May 6.

Byline: Jon Griffin

THE General Election will be held on Thursday May 6 next year, Digby Lord Jones of Birmingham revealed today.

The outspoken former Trade Minister told an audience of business leaders at Birmingham's Botanical Gardens that the date of the eagerly awaited poll had already been pencilled in. He told members of the Birmingham Business Breakfast Club: "It will be May 6 - you heard it here first - I think that is what Gordon said."

A May election would take Gordon Brown's Labour Government virtually to the wire following a controversy-ridden fiveyear term which began under Tony Blair in May 2005.

Lord Jones, who infuriated the Labour hierarchy by refusing to join the party during a stormy tenure as Minister, called for an end to "Harriet Harman economics" of funding victimhood, and for the adoption of an American-style presidential political system.

"I would fundamentally change the way we govern this country. I reckon the benefit would be staggering.

It is such a simple idea that it will not happen.

"I do not see leadership in any walk of society. We are creating this feeling of victimhood - there, there, there, it's all right, take a cheque.

"I wish we would stop the Harriet Harman economics - have a cheque, have some money, have some more."

CAPTION(S):

Critic: Lord Digby Jones.