Howard: I'll have failed if we lose

Michael Howard today declared that he will be a "failure" if Tony Blair wins the general election.

In an interview with the Evening Standard, the Conservative leader denied his election campaign was running out of steam.

Insisting that he was confident, he said: "Forming a government is success. Anything else is failure.

"I am quite sure we can win this election. I think it's vital for the country that we do win. The country needs to change direction."

With nine days to go until voting and the polls showing no improvement for the Conservatives, Mr Howard refused to discuss what he would do if Labour wins a third term. "We will talk about that after the election," he said.

Mr Howard said an "awful lot of people" had yet to make up their minds how they will vote, but the reaction of the public to the Conservatives was "transformed" from 2001.

In controversial comments that will enrage Labour managers, he stepped up his attack on Mr Blair for "lying" about the Iraq war. He denied that the repeated charge would cause cynicism or apathy.

"Cynicism is bred in the political process if people pussyfoot around and don't say what they mean," he said. "Character and trust are an issue at this election. I think Mr Blair has not been truthful with the British people and I have said so and I don't mince my words.

"What you see is what you get with me. I will tell it as I see it. And I will do what I say."

Mr Howard launched a scathing criticism of Labour's record on schools in London - an issue identified by the Evening Standard poll as critical to Londoners.

"It is hardly credible in the first decade of the 21st century, in the capital of the world's fourth largest economy, that 3,500 pupils have not been offered a place at any school this year," he said.

"Truancy in inner London is the worst in the world, heads are overruled on expulsions in a fifth of cases. It means the authority of the headteacher is undermined and a green light is given to the kids who misbehave."

Mr Howard rattled out figures, including that primary results in some London boroughs were 10 points below average. He said Conservative pledges for better discipline-would rescue schools, to steer problem teenagers from trouble.

Mr Howard defended his campaign against criticisms that it was too narrowly focused on his five themes, including immigration.

He insisted that the campaign had "vision", saying: "The common theme running through our campaign is, Trust the people.

"Unlike Mr Blair, who believes in a top-down bureaucracy, and a targetdriven culture for public services, we believe in trusting the professionals. Trusting doctors and nurses to exercise their clinical judgment, trusting teachers to teach and trusting police officers."

With the campaign entering its final phase, Mr Howard said it was "absolute rubbish" to suggest that he was courting a protest vote against Mr Blair rather than a pro-Tory vote.

He said his remark comparing the election to being 2-0 down in a football match, had been misunderstood. "I was merely recounting, having been to the Carling Cup, that Liverpool had been up for 80 minutes and then got screwed, I think was the word I used.

"I don't talk about the polls. The only poll I'm interested in is the one on election night."