Blair steers polls debate away from Iraq

Labour Party leader Tony Blair answers a question during the BBC show "Question Time" Thursday in London. Blair, Conservative Party leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy answered questions from members of the public on the show ahead of the May 5 general election. PHOTO: AFP

The main opposition Conserv-atives and smaller Liberal Democrats have used a controversy over whether Blair misled the public in the run up to the US-led invasion to score points in the election race.

But they too appeared keen to focus on other issues such as hospitals and the economy in the final six days of campaigning.

Blair and his more popular finance minister Gordon Brown unveiled a poster in London focusing on the economy that signalled with arrows the way forward with Labour and way back with the Conservatives, declaring: "Economic stability. If you value it, vote for it".

"Today we return to the big and fundamental choice facing the country -- forward or back, the Labour government with a strong economy, economic stability, or back with a Tory government that will put that economic stability at risk," Blair told reporters.

"It's only if people come out and support us that the strong economy with investment in health and education and law and order continues," he said.

It was up to the public to decide whether to wake up to a Labour government or a Conservative government on May 6, said Blair.

Asked if he was feeling under pressure, the prime minister replied: "No, but I do think it's important that people understand how big and fundamental the choice is."

A senior Labour aide said earlier the party was keen to move on from the "latest media frenzy on Iraq."

"So from now to May 5, we will be campaigning on the economy and public services, stepping up the time spent on the road," the aide said.

The launch of Labour's business manifesto Thursday, however, was overshadowed by a controversy over the full text of a secret piece of advice Blair received on the legality of the Iraq war that was leaked to the media.

The prime minister then published the 13-page minute from Attorney General Lord Peter Goldsmith in a bid to lay the matter to rest.

But as he attempted to push Iraq out of the spotlight, Rose Gentle, whose son died in the conflict last year, declared that she would take legal action against the government following the publication of Goldsmith's advice.