Gordon Brown today left the door open on whether to call a General Election this autumn, as he announced a raft of reforms to recruit voters and even opposition MPs to advise his Government.

The Prime Minister is said to be considering calling a snap election, only two years after the last, to take advantage of his own popularity with the electorate since taking power, and to capitalise on the turmoil afflicting David Cameron's Conservative party.

In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Brown was challenged about his plans to call an early election, and said that he would make no announcement today. "There will be a time and a place for a General Election but it is not now," he said.

Asked to rule out an autumn poll, he refused to reply directly. "There will be a time and a place for these things," he said.

Expert View

If Gordon Brown doesn't rule it out in the next two weeks, we can assume that we are on for an autumn election.

Philip Webster

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Philip Webster, Political Editor of The Times, said: "I don't think anything that Mr Brown has said today has moved us closer by one iota to knowing whether he is going to call a General Election this autumn or not.

"Nothing is likely to change for about two weeks, at the end of which time he will decide whether to go or not. The decision is dictated by the timing of the Labour party conference - to go to the conference with the prospect of an election still hanging in the air, and then to rule it out afterwards, would be a huge letdown for the party.

"So if he doesn't rule it out in the next two weeks, we can assume that we are on for an autumn election."

Mr Brown's most eye-catching announcement this morning was the news that he had recruited two Tory MPs, both former front-benchers, to advise the Government.

Patrick Mercer has been asked to advise the Government’s Security Minister, Lord West, on how to safeguard UK infrastructure and security in crowded public places, while John Bercow will lead a review of services for children with special needs.

In addition Matthew Taylor, a Liberal Democrat MP, has agreed to advise ministers on land use through the planning system to support sustainable rural communities.

Mr Brown announced the three recruits in a speech explaining why he felt that the time was right to move to a more consensus style of politics, in order to absorb fresh energy and ideas.

"September usually sees the resumption of Westminster politics," he told a meeting of the National Council of Voluntary Organisations. "But while party politics resumes its normal routines, it cannot - and should not - be business as usual.

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