Party leaders in final election campaign push

The leaders of the three main political parties have been campaigning in earnest as the election campaign heads into the final 48 hours.

Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown unveiled a series of measures aimed at boosting home ownership today, including plans to introduce a shared equity offer for new homebuyers and an examination of public sector assets to discover additional land that could be used for home-building.

However, the Prime Minister also came under fire once again for the war in Iraq. Ann Toward, the widow of Anthony Wakefield, the British soldier killed in Iraq yesterday, has openly blamed Mr Blair for her husband’s death.

Mr Blair offered his “deep sympathy and condolences” to the family but said: “I really don’t think there’s anything I can, or should, say more than that and I don’t think it’s right or appropriate to do so”.

Labour have also continued to attack the Conservatives’ policies. Alan Milburn, the party’s election co-ordinator said: “The Tories know their policies do not stand up to scrutiny which is why they don’t want to talk about them. They are only interested in exploiting issues, not dealing with them. Instead their strategy is to sneak Michael Howard into No.10 through the back door.”

Conservative leader Michael Howard has continued his party’s campaign by urging the electorate to “vote for change” and detailed his “timetable for action” – a list of eight tasks that he pledged to make his “personal priority” in the first 18 months if a Conservative government is elected on May 5. He also hit back at Labour claims that a vote for the Liberal Democrats would let the Conservatives into power through ‘the back door’.

Mr Howard said: “Mr Blair’s hope is just to keep his job; and the Lib Dems will help him do that. Our hope is for a better Britain.”

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy was campaigning today in Michael Howard’s constituency of Folkestone. On Sunday, Mr Kennedy, said that after eight years in office, Mr Blair’s was now “a failed premiership”. He also accused the Conservatives of fighting a “narrow mean-spirited campaign, playing to people’s fears and appealing to their worst instincts.” Mr Kennedy also appeared confident about the election, claiming that many leading members of the Conservatives are “set to lose their seats” to the Liberal Democrats. Mr Howard won the Folkestone seat in 2001 with a majority of 5,907.

The latest poll of 108 key marginal seats by the Guardian/ICM has indicated that it could be a close race between Labour and the Conservatives, estimating that Labour’s lead in these areas had dropped to 41% from 47% from the last election.

(KMcA)