May election still on the cards

Election date could be imminent

By BBC News Online's political correspondent Nick Assinder.

Speculation over the date of the general election has again intensified after the government appeared to change its tone over the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Once again, it is believed that Tony Blair is aiming to go to the country on 3 May - the same day as the local elections.

There had been suggestions that the prime minister was on the verge of abandoning plans for a national poll on that day as the farms crisis appeared to run out of control.

Despite his apparent commitment to 3 May, it was believed he was seriously considering postponing the poll until 7 June - probably the latest date he is prepared to countenance.

But a distinct change of tack has been observed in Westminster, with the government launching a concerted attempt to show it has got a grip of the crisis.

Long haul

First, the prime minister's official spokesman suggested the disease was reaching a turning point.

Farms crisis may be turning

He told political journalists: "We believe that we are now beginning to see a turnaround on the ground."

He stressed there was still a "long haul" ahead and that "it could get worse before it gets better.

But he went on to insist the measures the government had taken were beginning to show a difference.

Later Agriculture minister Nick Brown said it was possible the disease had entered the country through illegal meat imports which had ended up in pigswill.

And he announced a ban on the use of pigswill in future and curbs on sheep movements - seen as the prime reason for the spread of the disease.

He also told MPs that, while the number of cases had not yet peaked: "We will succeed in eradicating this disease."

The announcements came against the background of the government's advertising campaign to persuade tourists and visitors that the countryside is not closed for business.

Brown insists disease will be beaten

And it followed the plea from the chairman of the backbench parliamentary Labour party, Clive Soley, for the general election not to be postponed.

Democracy on hold

Mr Soley deployed the same arguments that have been coming privately from senior Labour sources.

They fear a postponement of the poll would send out the worst possible message to the rest of the world and suggest Britain was gripped by an unprecedented national crisis which meant democracy had to be put on hold.

Taken together, these developments are being seen as the government preparing the ground for an announcement within days on the election date - with 3 May still the favoured option.

Some in Westminster are still insisting that a postponement for a month would cost the government little and could even win it votes from rural residents concerned that ministers should be giving all their attention to the crisis.

But the majority opinion again seems to be behind May.

The prime minister does not have to make up his mind just yet.

As he was embarrassingly overheard telling European Commission President Romano Prodi last Friday, he can hold off until next week.

But there is now a rising expectation in Westminster that Mr Blair is ready to announce the date while claiming that the government has a firm grip on the crisis and a delay could only damage the country's image abroad.