A brave decision, Prime Minist... oh. Where did he go?

It's almost over.

At PMQs Brown has adopted a weird, gurning version of Maggie‘s Gallows Grin: 'I'm enjoying this!' but at night in the corridors of Downing Street the darkly frowning, sweating man with bitten nails is pacing, pacing, pacing, trying to find within himself sufficient courage to call a snap election in March.

Even the Great Delusionist knows a monumental fact when he sees one. March will be bad, but less so than May when the auguries will be far worse. March would also get him off the Chilcot hook.

May, on the other hand, would give Cameron more time to lose his shine which Brown is absolutely certain Balls and Campbell can arrange. Brown wants to give them more time and Cameron more rope.

However, Brown’s bodyguards are against March. They will lose their vast Brown-linked patronage, privileges and power immediately their man sounds the call. The Cabinet Big Beasts in marginal seats are against it because, for some of zose chentlemen, ze var will be oh-fer the moment the trumpet sounds.

The Party drums are against it. The old time-servers on the backbenches want to spin everything out for a few weeks' extra troughing - and Brown retains his tribal sympathy for them. He also recognises that he owes them and is looking to his place in the Labour Party after the election. There is no life for Gordon Brown outside the womb of his Labour Party. He craves lasting Party esteem in the form of office (heheh) or historical reputation (heheheheh).

March would be a better result for Labour than May but yet again it all comes down to the courage of one man - James Gordon Brown – and his ability to make a brave decision.

So, May then. June, maybe.

As posted at PB.com earlier