God's Country

Part Twenty-Eight

'I read the paper every day and the Bible every day; that way I know what both sides are up to.'

Zip Ziglar

"Geoff...yes, I can just about hear you," Sam Baker, the BBC political correspondent said from what looked like a rugby scrum of journalists outside number ten Downing Street, all of whom seemed to be shouting at someone. "It is pretty noisy here...everyone seems to have heard the same rumours. My sources tell me that Brian Strickland is sensationally about to leave here to visit Her Majesty the Queen...to tell her he intends to resign and call a general election for three weeks time. Faced with continued resistance from his coalition partners and watching the Conservatives come under attack from both UKip and the new CDP, the Prime Minister has decided to roll the dice. He intends to ask the country to give him a mandate to lead this country for the next five years."

'If the Bible had said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I would believe it.'

William Jennings Bryan

"Fuck...bloody sodding fucking fuck," Brogan Hardcastle had spilled fresh coffee all over herself. Hot coffee. But she just stripped off her sodden, stained bathrobe and dropped it on the brown puddle, and just stared at the screen as the news unfolded before her eyes. Brian Strickland was not a gambler by nature. He must have taken a lot of soundings from all his loyal friends, supporters and of course his trade union paymasters. The consensus around Westminster, where the rumour had been growing in credence, was that he had a fairly good chance. It was considered a very smart if expedient move. No one else was ready to face the people in just three weeks time. Henderson was still steadying the Tory ship after his victory in the leadership election and the new CDA, still not being taken seriously by anyone, were planning for four years time. Neil Hooks had little support left in his own party let alone the country, and as Strickland was laying the blame for his decision squarely on the shoulders of the LibDem leader he was not going to be any more popular anywhere. The talking heads said it was a reasonable ploy. Strickland was not popular, but the coalition was not working and if he could capitalise on the weakness of his opponents he might just sneak back into Ten Downing Street with a majority all of his own.

'The Bible makes it clear that self-righteousness is the premier enemy of the gospel.'

Tullian Tchividjian

"I don't blame him to be fair," Philip Henderson shrugged, standing at the window in his Westminster office. "He has seen a chance to win a clear majority and that really is what this country needs. It needs a government that can put fighting the opposition out of their mind for five years and start doing something positive. The people are sick of it...bloody hell, we are all sick of it."

"Could work in our favour...pull back some of the deserters to Farage?" Greg Andrews, his number two, suggested as he reached for a bottle of mineral water.

"And it will screw Buckingham...he only has his twenty seat-less friends so far...he hasn't even had time to get under the skin of any disaffected back-benchers." Henderson pointed out, rather desperately looking on the bright side. "He can't possibly put out many candidates at three weeks' sodding notice...not after so publicly stating that he won't make the same mistakes as UKip...the pompous bastard. He is suggesting he wants to vet every candidate personally, so he will never be able to get enough good people on the ballot papers. Greg...we need to talk to everyone outside of the shadow cabinet that feels shut out or ignored...promise them something juicy for after the election, junior posts if we win...you know the sort of thing...or threaten them with a painful death, I don't really care...but I don't want anyone defecting to the CDP...that would be a fucking disaster."

"Yes boss...there may be a few who want to hear it from you as always?"

"Set it up, just keep a spreadsheet of what you have promised...let's offer some unity, some coming together after the leadership contest against the enemy within...I want everyone to be singing from the same hymn sheet, repelling all boarders blah fucking blah, ok?"