UK election call expected

Blair told ministers to ignore opinion polls

LONDON, England -- UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has met Queen Elizabeth II -- a key appointment if he is to call a general election as widely expected.

Blair arrived at Buckingham Palace at 1 p.m. (1200 GMT) for his regular weekly appointment during which he was expected to seek formal permission to dissolve parliament.

Blair's spokesman said the prime minister would make a speech on Tuesday afternoon -- when political commentators say the election decision will be made public, with June 7 being the most favoured polling date.

AUDIO CNN's Robin Oakley: Blair has benefited from delaying the election 499 K/46 sec. AIFF or WAV sound The economy has ticked over nicely for Labour 499 K/46 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Conservatives will use euro-sceptic discourse in their campaign 661 K/61 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Financial Times' Brian Groom: Blair wants to make the election look closer than it is 698 K/64 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

Asked beforehand if Blair would seek the queen's permission to formally dissolve parliament and announce a June 7 election, his spokesman refused to confirm any details of the meeting. He added that Blair would make a speech at a so-far undisclosed location.

The prime minister ordered his cabinet to give up a public holiday on Monday for a special meeting at which he issued a rallying call not to allow apathy to scupper the Labour party's chances of securing another huge parliamentary majority.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn, while not commenting on a date as he left the meeting of ministers, did indicate what had been discussed.

"We will fight this campaign, whenever it comes, as if it were on a knife edge," Milburn said. "We are not going to take a single vote for granted."

Blair's Labour Party, which won power in a 1997 landslide, is heavily favoured to win a new election.

The most recent surveys gave Blair a lead of nearly 20 points over the Conservative opposition, led by William Hague.

Britain's Press Association quoted Blair's official spokesman as saying the prime minister had told ministers: "Forget the polls and commentators, this is going to be a far tougher fight than people imagine."

Hague's Conservatives say they are planning for victory

Schools and hospitals would again top the party's spending and reform priority list, the spokesman said.

Blair wanted ministers to set out "with honesty and humility" the government's record and its determination to improve services for everyone -- "not just the few."

Hague, who called a special meeting of his party early on Tuesday, vowed to fight harder and longer than ever before to defeat Labour.

"We've got a government that will not be so much asking for a second term as a second chance, and what everyone will have to think about is can they afford to give them a second chance," Hague told reporters.

Blair does not need to call an election until mid-2002 but it has been an open secret for months that he wants an earlier vote to take advantage of a buoyant economy.

The expected election date had been May 3, but in early April at the height of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak the government refrained from calling a general election.

Blair has already announced that local elections would go ahead on June 7.

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