On vague worries about the North Britain trip

I was surprised earlier this week when the British Prime Minister called a general election for May 6. I guess I hadn't been following British politics as closely as I should have. This a vague concern as I will be in the middle of it. It could well be that the PM will change while I am in Britain which would be a little weird. I was in Spain in the lead up to lower-level elections and was a mite perturbed at how determined the Spanish were to sell their candidates. I am both hoping and expecting that the Brits are much more laid back about their elections. Furthermore, none of the parties likely to win are that extreme. I am reminded of an American diplomat asked to comment on a Canadian general election (probably the 1988 election). His statement amounted to that the U.S. government didn't see any problems working with a Canadian government lead by any of the likely parties (Liberal, Tories or NDP) as none of them were "like the Sendero Luminoso." While this could be seen as flippant, it is at heart an endorsement of the Canadian political process. The same can be said of British politics. Another concern is over the relatively extreme weather the Brits have been having of late. I was startled to read that it had snowed in the last two weeks. While it is unlikely to snow in May, I rather hoping that the country will warm up a good deal in the next few weeks!