Things that were ..things that are...and some things that have not yet come to pass

The thing about being an historian and a political junkie is that you tend to notice dates and anniversaries more than most. Be it battles, births, deaths, or other events, they all stand out. Especially when accompanied by the BBC news feature which reminds people of the daft haircuts and clothes they used to endure. But this week marks another anniversary. If all the hype from the time was to have been believed, this week Parliament would be dissolving, and we would be heading to the polls. Because this week is five years since the speculation that Gordon Brown, recently crowned as Prime Minister by a Labour party largely delighted to see the back of Tony Blair, reached a fever pitch. I would highly recommend this account of those days, before the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression turned everything on it's head:

http://dpmcbride.tumblr.com/post/32931120073/5-years-on-the-election-that-never-was

And, in a shameless personal plug, here are the, on reflection somewhat naive, thoughts of yours truly on the subject from last year:

http://inaneramblingsofahistorystudent.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/what-if-gordon-brown-won-election.html