EXPECTATIONS that the general election will be on May 5 hardened yesterday with the announcement that the royal wedding will be on April 8.

The wedding date, of which Tony Blair has been aware for some time, appears to have ruled out any chance of an earlier election.

The possibility of a snap poll in April had gained currency in recent weeks. But most MPs concluded that Mr Blair would regard it as inappropriate to stage the campaign before the wedding and would wait until May 5, which has been his chosen day for at least 18 months.

Under a timetable now accepted as likely, Mr Blair will probably announce in the week before the wedding that he has asked the Queen for a dissolution of Parliament on Monday, April 11, or the day after.

That would give a few days for the usual horse-trading between the parties over which business should be allowed through before the election and which would fall. Then there would be an election campaign of just over three weeks.

MPs were dubious about whether Labour could expect any “bounce” in the campaign as a result of the wedding. They pointed to the clear divisions in public opinion about the marriage and doubted whether there would be a “feelgood factor” solely attributable to it.

Mr Blair was consulted by the Queen over the marriage and the arrangements for Camilla Parker Bowles to become Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Consort if the Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne. It is understood that the Palace accepted that she would not be Queen and that Mr Blair made plain that the Government would facilitate whatever the Palace and the couple felt comfortable with.

There is no need for legislation at this stage for a marriage, but a Bill would be necessary to clarify the position of Mrs Parker Bowles if the Prince became King. It would make plain that she would be referred to as HRH the Princess Consort and ensure she did not benefit from Civil List provisions relating to the Queen.

Mr Blair spoke of his delight at the news and said the Cabinet at yesterday’s meeting sent congratulations and good wishes on behalf of the whole Government. “We all wish them every happiness for their future together,” he said.

Speaking on the Channel 4 Richard and Judy show, Mr Blair said he had been aware for some time of the pending announcement but had not told the Cabinet. “I think everyone has known that Prince Charles and Camilla are together and if they want to make that commitment in marriage I wish them every success and happiness, and I’m sure everyone else does too,” he said.

The final piece in the election jigsaw is the date of the Budget. Gordon Brown is now almost certain to reveal his pre-election package in the week beginning Monday, March 14. The Finance Bill containing the Budget measures will have to be pushed through quickly if Mr Blair opts for May 5.

Yet another pointer to May 5 as election day came yesterday from Moscow. Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the State Duma foreign affairs committee, was quoted as saying that Mr Blair had turned down an invitation to Russia’s Second World War Victory Day celebrations because he had spoken of plans to hold an election on May 5. Downing Street moved swiftly to say that he hoped to attend the May 9 ceremony.

WEDDING RECEPTION

‘Absolutists will not want the marriage to happen at all. I think that is a minority position. I don’t see any great difficulty. Where there is a will, there is a way and I salute this news with great pleasure and joy’
Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury

‘I think there will be quite a bit of controversy for 24 hours but then I think everyone will be happy and feel that Prince Charles deserves his happiness’
Sir David Frost at the opening of the new Churchill museum attended by the Queen

‘To make it look as if they have created something special for her, they have come up with this idea of Princess Consort. There is no more difference in this name than being referred to as Mrs Jones or as Mrs Jones, the much-beloved wife’
Harold Brooks-Baker of Burke’s Peerage

‘I think that this is the best thing that they could have done. To have moved his mistress into Clarence House and to have her there but not officially there just did not seem right at all’
Penny Junor, Prince of Wales’s biographer

‘People’s feelings about Camilla are very much entangled (with) those (about) Diana. It is pretty clear that people are not enormously enamoured by Camilla’
Robert Lacey, royal biographer

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