Having complained before about how easy a ride the media are giving Gordon Brown over his rather arrogant attitudes towards election dates, treating our democracy as if it is his own personal plaything – full credit to Jonathan Freedland for writing:

The absurdity that the timing of our elections is in the hands of the prime minister has to end. It doesn’t just destabilise our politics; it is grotesquely unfair. British elections are running races in which one of the contestants gets to fire the starting gun. So when Gordon Brown finally names the date, let him also vow to be the last prime minister to exercise that privilege. Let’s give our parliaments fixed terms – and end this guessing game once and for all.

Well said!

UPDATE: And also good pieces over on Paul Linford’s blog and The Herald.