Prepare to delay local polls - Hague

Rural restrictions may delay poll, warn Tories

Tory leader William Hague has urged the government to bring in an emergency law this week to allow local elections to be postponed in areas ravaged by foot-and-mouth disease.

And he said a general election could not be held at a time when there was "a national crisis out of control."

Mr Hague singled out Cumbria and Devon as areas that should be included in emergency powers to delay county council elections.

It's difficult for the government to focus on a crisis out of control while simultaneously fighting a general election campaign

William Hague

But Commons leader Margaret Beckett said any delay to elections would send a "catastrophically bad signal" to other damaged industries such as tourism.

She accused Mr Hague of trying to gain party political advantage from the disease.

And there has been another powerful hint that the general election will go ahead next month: the front page in Tuesday's Sun newspaper was headlined: "3 May - Election Day: official."

The paper, which is backing Labour at the election, insisted that Mr Blair would seek the dissolution of parliament at the beginning of April.

Serious

But Mr Hague told a news conference: "There is a serious problem in holding county council elections in some areas on 3 May.

"There is a strong and widespread opinion that the powers should be taken to postpone these elections if necessary."

William Hague - emergency powers are needed

Although he continued the "wait and see" policy over the general election, he added: "I don't think it would be right to call an election where there is a national crisis out of control as it is today.

"It is a practical matter... It's difficult for the government to focus on a crisis out of control while simultaneously fighting a general election campaign."

The problem for the Conservatives in calling for an election delay is that it could expose them to claims that they are running scared of facing Labour at the ballot box.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, Mrs Beckett denounced Mr Hague's intervention.

"He doesn't seem to have focussed on when you would postpone the local elections to," she said.

Margaret Beckett: 'catastrophic signal'

"It's animals that are quarantined, not people - provided people take sensible and proper precautions, people are able to move around the countryside."

Although emergency legislation to delay the local elections would have to clear Parliament by next Monday, Mrs Beckett said the government was "not yet at the point" of having to act.

Tory dilemma

It's animals that are quarantined, not people - provided people take sensible and proper precautions, people are able to move around the countryside

Margaret Beckett

The Sun newspaper says in an editorial: "Britain is an advanced democracy. We do not cancel elections.

"The British tourist industry would suffer far more than they realise from a postponed election."

It predicts that Mr Blair will announcel the election on 2 April and points out that even during the second world war in 1945 a general election went ahead.

Self-serving

Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy MP said it was "self-serving" for Westminster politicians to spend their time talking about a general election, which affected their livelihoods, when thousands of others are losing theirs in the current foot-and-mouth crisis.

"Let's concentrate on getting on top of this problem and worry about election considerations later on," he said.