Tory leader warns against voter apathy

Le Pen's victory has shocked UK politicians

The shock success of far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen in France's presidential election has prompted Iain Duncan Smith to warn against UK voter apathy.

Ahead of the 2 May local elections in England, the Conservative leader said anyone who failed to vote had little right to complain about the outcome.

Lib Dem defectors

Dan Munford from Montgomeryshire

Nigel Sutcliffe from Guildford

Former Stalybridge and Hyde PPC Martin Cross

Matthew Dixon from Sheffield Hallam

Mark Connolly from Wiltshire

Stephen Miles from Kennet

Michael Read from Winchester

Ralph Hall from Bedfordshire

A similar warning has been given by Home Secretary David Blunkett, who said low turnout made it more likely for "facists" to win seats.

Mr Blunkett said the government could see off any extremist threat by ensuring clear policies which dealt with people's genuine fears on issues like crime, asylum and immigration.

Meanwhile a spokesman for Tony Blair said the prime minister urged everyone to vote on 2 May.

"The prime minister would argue that we are addressing the issues that matter," the Downing Street spokesman said.

"No one is saying asylum isn't an issue - it clearly is and we are addressing it.

"No one's saying crime isn't a problem - it is, but it is falling and we are addressing it.

"Clearly there are issues on asylum and immigration that we have to address and we are addressing them."

Speaking during a visit to a north London Jewish secondary school, Mr Duncan Smith urged people to get out and vote.

"It is the extremists who will turn out and benefit if people do not turn out," he said.

"I say that people should come out and vote."

National Front leader Mr Le Pen's success in the first round of the French presidential election was a "wake-up call for politicians in Europe and across the board".

The Tory leader acknowledged that greater ethnic minority representation was needed in government.

And he said that his party was in talks with its mainstream political rivals over the rise of extremism.

Confront hate

"We and our neighbours must make sure that people like this are confronted - that hate is confronted," he said.

"People must know that there is an alternative and the alternative is mainstream politics.

Mr Duncan Smith has high hopes for the local elections

"I think in Britain, in the mainstream, that message is getting through."

France, meanwhile, should be "asking questions" about what had caused the far-right to profit.

"They should be asking questions about why this has happened and why there has been a vacuum in political states which has allowed extremists to come forward," he said.

Meanwhile the Tories were hoping to gain hundreds of seats in the forthcoming local elections including many in Labour heartlands such as Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

"We are selecting candidates in areas who fit council seats that reflect the nature and make-up of that area," he said.

Tory change?

Later Mr Duncan Smith unveiled the names of nine Liberal Democrat defectors to his party.

He said the councillors', activists' and parliamentary candidate's decision said a "great deal" about the way the Tories were changing.

"People believe the Conservative Party is changing," he said.

"It's campaigning on the issues that matter most to people in their daily lives."

The defection list was dismissed by Lib Dem chairman Mark Oaten, who said the real traffic had been the 14 former Tory MPs and MEPs joining his party.

Mr Oaten added: "The Tories must be running scared if all they can do is identify nine people who have joined the Tories.

"Some of these people actually left the party long ago."