Blair calls May 5 vote as Tories close gap
With Iraq weighing heavily on his ratings, Mr Blair put his government's economic credentials at the heart of the campaign.
Confirming the date after visiting Queen Elizabeth in traditional pre-election protocol, Mr Blair vowed to build on eight years of growth to entrench future investment in public services - which he says his Conservative opponents will slash.
"It's a big choice, it's a big decision. The British people are the boss and they are the ones that will make it," he told reporters outside his Downing Street office.
Mr Blair had delayed the long-expected announcement by a day due to the death at the weekend of Pope John Paul II.
Public anger over the Iraq war could slash Mr Blair's parliamentary majority - five new opinion polls showed his party has lost support to the main opposition Conservatives.
Embarrassingly, one of the Labour party's candidates, Stephen Wilkinson, said yesterday he was defecting to the Liberal Democrats, the only major British party to oppose the Iraq war.
"Who would have thought a Labour government would become a lap dog to George Bush's right wing Republican administration," Mr Wilkinson said.
Conservative leader Michael Howard focused on Mr Blair's perceived Achilles Heel - reduced public trust post-Iraq.
"The choice before voters on May 5 is very clear," he told party supporters. "They can either reward Mr Blair for eight years of broken promises ... or they can vote Conservative.
If he wins, Mr Blair would make history by becoming the first Labour premier to clinch a third consecutive term, equaling the record of former Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher.
Mr Blair came to power in 1997 after the 1992 vote, which Labour had been widely expected to win, swung to the Conservatives at the last minute.
If Mr Blair's power is weakened this time, he could quickly become a lame duck as he has already stated he will not seek a fourth term.
The biggest fear of Labour strategists, mirroring the polling evidence, is that their core supporters do not bother to turn out.
Mr Blair later touched down in Labour's most marginal seat yesterday in a bid to reinforce the point.
His helicopter landed at Portland Heliport before he was whisked off to the local Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.
The South Dorset seat is held by Labour's Jim Knight with a majority over the Tories of just 153 - meaning any significant swing would see it change hands.
Labour officials said Mr Blair's visit showed he and the party were "working hard for every vote".
Dissident republicans are threatening a new offensive to hit mainland Britain as the general election nears, according to leaked government security sources.
Senior civil servants have been warned of possible strikes by members of dissident republican groups, such as the Real IRA, responsible for the Omagh bomb outrage in 1998.
A secret memo has been issued by security chiefs in London who fear the Real IRA or Continuity IRA could be heading the new offensive. According to sources, dissident groups are now at work planning to plant bombs or detonate incendiary devices, according to leaked information.
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