Blair wheels out big guns

Tony Blair wheeled out Labour's big guns today in a bid to prevent a disaster in next month's council elections.

The Prime Minister, backed by four senior ministers, was going out on the stump in London for the first time since last year's general election.

Labour chairman and Cabinet rising star Charles Clarke was launching the party's campaign in Westminster - backed by Home Secretary David Blunkett, Transport Secretary Stephen Byers and Education Secretary Estelle Morris.

Labour will defend thousands of council seats across Britain on 2 May, with every London borough up for grabs. Party insiders have privately warned that they could be heading for a disastrous result.

Morale is low, activists are refusing to go out on doorsteps, and the party's London HQ is still seeking a replacement for regional chief David Wilkinson, who left last month. In addition, Labour strategists fear that their London campaign will suffer the after-effects of the mayoral election two years ago, when Labour candidate Frank Dobson was humiliated by independent Ken Livingstone.

Tories have high hopes of winning back outer London boroughs such as Croydon in the party's first electoral test since Iain Duncan Smith replaced William Hague as leader. The Lib-Dems hope to take seats in Labour's inner-city strongholds.

The seats being contested in May were last fought over in 1998, when the Government was still enjoying an extended honeymoon with voters. The Tories delayed their campaign launch, planned for last week, because of the mourning period for the Queen Mother.