Cabinet Office minister Ed Miliband has started work on Labour's manifesto for the next general election. Apparently, he has been asked to prepare a draft document ahead of the party's annual conference in September.

Recent opinion polls indicate that Labour has once again taken a lead over the Tories fuelling speculation of a snap election.A poll in yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph puts Labour support on 40%, 7% ahead of the Tories.

A run of polls putting Labour well ahead and a desire on Brown’s behalf for his own electoral mandate may well mean an election this year. There’s no prospect of unseating Rosindell sadly....