Blair seeks salvation in economy

Britain's Tony Blair struggled yesterday to put a storm over the war in Iraq behind him and move his election campaign back onto its strongest ground - economic prosperity.

Iraq burst into the forefront of the campaign for the May 5 vote after leaked advice from the government's top lawyer showed he had harboured some doubts about the legality of the conflict.

Although the vast majority of voters say Iraq is not their main concern, the controversy has allowed the Prime Minister's foes to call him a liar and shift the focus onto his integrity.

It also stopped Mr Blair, who still enjoys a healthy lead in opinion polls, talking about his centre-left Labour party's strong suits for several days at a crucial time in the campaign.

On the sunlit banks of the River Thames in London, Mr Blair unveiled a new campaign poster, urging: "Economic stability. If you value it, vote for it."

Most analysts believe Britons made up their mind about Mr Blair's backing for the Iraq war long ago.

Nonetheless, Labour chiefs trying to secure an unprecedented third straight term for their party will anxiously await a raft of weekend opinion polls for any signs their lead has eroded.

Strategists say the aim in the closing stretch of the campaign is to focus on the "safe bet" that Labour offers versus the risks of a government run by the main opposition party, the centre-right Conservatives.

Mr Blair's opponents have seized on the evidence of Attorney General Lord Goldsmith's doubts in the build-up to the Iraq war because just 10 days later he ruled the conflict was legal, with none of the caveats he had previously expressed.

The Conservatives have suggested Lord Goldsmith came under government pressure to harden up his view.

Conservative leader Michael Howard has branded Mr Blair a liar, a British political taboo.

Mr Blair countered by publishing Lord Goldsmith's full advice on Thursday, calling the issue a "damp squib" not a "smoking gun".

It showed Lord Goldsmith had some reservations about the legal basis for war but had said there was "a reasonable case" based on UN resolutions.

A YouGov survey yesterday put Labour on 36 per cent and the Conservatives on 32. It was conducted from Tuesday to Thursday.

"(That) is nowhere near enough to put the Conservatives within striking distance of becoming the largest party in the House of Commons, let alone of being able to form a government," said Anthony King, professor of government at Essex University.

Mr Blair fears Labour sympathisers may switch to the third-placed Liberal Democrats, who opposed the war. Because the Liberal Democrats do not have enough support to win in most areas, that could effectively allow the Conservatives to pick up electoral seats.