I am puzzled by fevered talk at Westminster of a snap general election. Gordon Brown has had a good first month. David Cameron’s opposition Conservatives have wobbled. Yet the prospects of the innately cautious Mr Brown throwing the dice in an autumn election must be close to zero. Barring a Tory implosion, I am almost as sceptical about a spring 2008 poll.

For Britain’s new prime minister the past weeks have been all about positioning. From the moment he stepped over the threshold of 10 Downing Street, there has been one objective: to show that his government could satisfy the voters’ desire for change. Hence the blur of announcements, initiatives and reviews that see Mr Brown start work a little after 5am each morning.