Blair cops flak from both sides

By ANDREW GRICE

LONDON - Tony Blair has come under fire from Labour and Conservative MPs for delaying the general election from May 3 until June 7 because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

The British Prime Minister's hopes of forming a united front in the battle against the disease were undermined by the Tories' refusal to support emergency legislation to delay local authority elections due on May 3, and by criticism from Labour MPs who wanted a general election on that date.

Conservatives leader William Hague will today widen the divide by calling for the Army to be put in charge of efforts to eradicate foot-and-mouth.

He will say Army brigadiers should get on with the job and no longer await orders from the "overstretched" Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff).

Blair, speaking outside 10 Downing St, confirmed that elections would be postponed in Britain - a first for peacetime. Voting for 34 English county councils, 11 unitary authorities and 26 district councils in Northern Ireland would now take place on June 7.

The Prime Minister said it was a hard call. Although "free and fair" elections could have taken place, he had decided "in the interests of the whole country" that it would not be right for them to go ahead in May.

But Blair rejected Tory calls for an indefinite delay. "To put our democratic process on hold for a prolonged period would be damaging to our national interest," he said.

"I believe, therefore, that June 7 strikes the right balance between a delay that lets us put the right strategies and mechanisms in place, and the avoidance of real, lasting damage to our democratic and economic stability, which an indefinite postponement would cause."

Although Blair insisted that his announcement covered only the local elections, senior Labour figures assured MPs that the general election would also go ahead on June 7.

Hague said the Government was right "in principle" to delay the local polls, but wrong to tie itself to June 7.

"It should have taken the power to set a new date once the crisis is coming to an end."

The Tories are expected to abstain when a bill to postpone the local polls comes before the House tomorrow.

Some Labour MPs voiced concern that Blair had opened the door to another delay if the epidemic was not brought under control before June.

Ealing North's Stephen Pound said: "Most people in the parliamentary Labour Party are initially quite cross about this.

"I have spent months and months motivating my [local party] people, marching them up the hill, getting the leaflets printed. Now we have been told to stand everybody down. If we lose on June 7, there will be serious recriminations."

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott confirmed that he had wanted a May 3 general election, but said Blair had faced "a very difficult decision."

- INDEPENDENT

Herald Online feature: Foot-and-mouth disaster

World organisation for animal health

UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Pig Health/Foot and Mouth feature

Virus databases online