By Denis Campbell

If you liked the US election, you’re gonna love the upcoming PPV steel cage match in the planet’s greatest political theatre. Steps away from London’s West End houses offering titles: Wicked, Les Miserables and The Mousetrap, the House of Parliament’s Prime Minister’s Question Time should be highly entertaining as both parties attempt to seize the spotlight in earnest this week and begin their slog towards an unknown finish line. Both issued competing economic stimulus plans, basically calling each other’s rubbish so the sparks should fly at high noon when they battle across the lectern. Sharp togues at three paces gentlemen, begin! And do hide your dogs in another room, the shrill screeching is not good for their or our ears.

I say unknown finish line because Gordon Blair’s term (deliberate misuse as Mr. Brown was appointed as party leader to finish Mr. Blair’s 3rd term on the ‘official’ clock), expires in May of 2010. Unlike the USA where the 04 November electoral finish line was known for years in advance (perhaps contributing to a 22-month campaign cycle that never seemed to end), the UK parliamentary system gives us some element of surprise because PM Brown can dissolve Parliament at any moment, have tea with Her Majesty and then she calls for elections within days.

In the blue corner representing highly capable and dour Scotsmen of all shades, dutifully crunching numbers for 11-years as Tony Blair’s Chancellor, a man with the rumpled but somewhat pitiable if not loveable exterior, leading us capably through the credit crisis, unfortunately following a legend in his own mind – former PM Tony Blair (who now never misses a chance to speak ill of his successor) the least likely PM and least photogenic man on the Isles, Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

And in the red corner, the pride of British public schools (Eton and Cambridge), the man you would least likely want to have a pint with, the once and future PM in waiting, who never met a camera he didn’t like or a group he couldn’t somehow pander to, with possibly the most distractingly smarmy and sing-song debating style, whose one great speech 4 years ago he hopes will lead him to similar fortune as it did the US change mantra-leader Barack Obama, Conservative Party (aka the Tories) Leader David Cameron.

Neither candidate will pick a running mate (so Sarah Palin, as much as a trip abroad might sound Okie-dokie, this contest will not be the ‘Thrilla from Wasilla’) each has their assortment of cabinet front benchers and party leaders from which to cringe. Brown has to worry about the brothers Miliband launching a coup and Cameron is hoping that London Mayor Boris Johnson (an avid Obama supporter) will keep his mouth shut, indeed the same team that handled Joe Biden will be hired to keep Boris fed, watered and mouth shut for the next 18-months.

While Barack Obama was called out by John McCain for pre-measuring the White House drapes, David Cameron already has a transition team together for Number 10. Because unlike the US when there is a turnover of Administrations, it happens the day after elections, not this 75-day transition period.

The polls currently favour Mr. Cameron but British politics are even bloodier than in the US. While Palin went from front-runner to cocktail joke faster than anyone in history, how PM Brown turns the economy around or is at least viewed as a steady hand on the tiller could keep British politics fun to watch for decades. 

While not yet ready to make a prediction, do remember that my Electoral Vote prediction in the US general election was 98% as I missed only one state – Missouri. Even then I had doubts but my good friend and former Republican Congressman from St. Louis endorsing Obama as a transformative figure and election plus 100,000 people on the banks of the Mississippi under the Gateway Arch allowed emotion to win out over reason. Brown, the heavy underdog, could reverse this tide and win if the Brits think he is the steadier hand. I’ve got awhile to watch and learn.

I love my job. When this is over, it’s back to the US midterm elections. Hoo-waahh!