Blair kicks off election

Labour fired the starting gun for the general election battle this afternoon.

And it admitted that voters were "angry" about Iraq, immigration and violent crime.

Campaign chief Alan Milburn said the Prime Minister will cut his trips abroad and focus on domestic issues because "Britain comes first".

In the first real sign that polling day is only weeks away, the party revealed its election slogan - Britain Forward Not Back - after it was approved by the Cabinet.

Mr Milburn apologised for recent posters attacking Michael Howard but said the election campaign would not back off from "aggressive" campaigning.

Tony Blair told a three-hour meeting of the Cabinet that the coming battle with the Tories was a clear choice between the future and the past.

In his first public appearance since his departure from Downing Street, Mr Blair's former spin chief Alastair Campbell attended today's slogan launch in his new role as strategy mastermind for the election.

A general election is widely expected on 5 May and Mr Milburn outlined the three big themes that would dominate the Government's pitch to voters: a strong economy, modernised public services and a crackdown on crime and asylum abuse.

"Forward not Back" were the "three words that in our assessment sum up the mood and desire of the country". He added: "People know we are not perfect, they know we have not done everything we or they would want us to.

"But they believe the country is moving in the right direction and they don't want to reverse course."

Polling disclosed to the Cabinet this morning showed people believed the economy was run better now than under the Tories. On public service, the data showed people recognised there was more to do and on crime it showed people recognised what had been achieved but wanted progress on violent crime and anti-social behaviour. Mr Milburn revealed that Mr Blair would be deployed across the nation to "take the flak" from voters

He said: "The public accepts the Prime Minister has a lot of foreign policy issues to contend with, many disagreed with us on Iraq, but Tony knows above all that the coming election is a fight about the future of Britain.

"So between now and the election,

the Prime Minister will be spending more time out of London, but in Britain rather than overseas.

Mr Milburn said that the public still wanted to offer asylum to those who were genuinely in fear of their lives, but wanted tough action against abuse.

"They are angry at those who abuse our laws. They want the Government to fix the system so Britain has tough rules which are properly and consistently adhered to so the system is on the side of those who play by the rules and and is firm with those who don't," he said.

Tory co-chairman Liam Fox said: "Despite what Labour say, most people think that Britain is heading in the wrong direction. They see one million violent crimes a year, immigration doubled, a teacher assaulted every seven minutes and taxes up 66 times. After eight years, and just months before the election, all Mr Blair offers is more talk and more promises."