Poll going to penalties - Tories

Michael Howard is out on the campaign trail

The election campaign is "going to penalties" and will be a "very close" result, says Tory co-chairman Liam Fox.

In a reference to Michael Howard saying it was possible to come back from 2-0 at half time, Dr Fox said the Tories had the best team and the best captain.

"That normally gets you a good result," he told ITV1's Jonathan Dimbleby show, adding it would be "very close".

All three main party leaders have hit the campaign trail with renewed vigour ahead of the 5 May poll.

Howard 'confident'

Charles Kennedy renewed his attack on Mr Blair over Iraq but he also criticised Mr Howard for his "uncritical" support of the war.

Mr Blair meanwhile has been warning that the Tories want to get into Downing Street by the back door - and said people who voted Lib Dem could wake up on Thursday to see Mr Howard forming a Conservative administration.

Michael Howard has said he was "very confident" the Conservatives could win on Thursday.

But Dr Fox said: "I think that this is going to penalties, this one - and I think it will be a very close election and I think that it's a very clear choice."

Campaign tone defended

Last week the Tory leader said: "I am a football fan. You often find if you are a football fan there is a team that might be two goals down at half-time, they win the game.

"I went to the Carling Cup final a few weeks back to watch my team Liverpool play Chelsea.

"We were ahead until the last 10 minutes and then we were screwed.

"So the election is not over until 5 May and I am confident we can win that."

Mr Howard has defended the tone of his campaign and insisted his policies offered voters hope.

'Lower taxes'

The Conservative leader, on a visit to the Cornish town of Newquay, said: "If you vote for your local Conservative candidate on Thursday - you'll be sending a clear message that you want action on lower taxes and value for money.

"You'll be ordering us to get on with it: get on with saving money; get on with cutting waste; get on with lowering taxes.

"And I will get on with it - in fact I'll get straight to it. That's why I've already given my team their orders - how we'll deliver value for money and lower taxes; and how we'll pay for our plans."

Mr Howard said he would be "on the phone every week" to make sure Tory colleagues were "delivering the goods - just like any other boss in Britain".

"If they screw up and don't deliver - you're out."

Asked if that would apply to him if he failed to win an election he told reporters: "I can understand your fascination with that topic but I'm concentrating on what happens between now and Thursday and doing everything I can to win."

'Real issue'

Meanwhile he told the BBC that he rejected suggestions he was running a "dog whistle" campaign - targeting certain groups of voters with specific messages.

On his opponents' suggestions that the language of the Tory campaign around asylum and immigration condoned or encouraged racism, Mr Howard said he rejected the idea there was some kind of subliminal message.

He said according to the government's own figures, an extra five million people would be coming into Britain over the next 30 years.

"That seems to me a real issue we should debate in a sensitive way, a calm and measured way," he said.