The fragile cross-party consensus over the foot and mouth outbreak broke down yesterday as William Hague called on the government to introduce legislation allowing the delay of county council elections in the areas most affected by the outbreak. He also said the government should not contemplate calling a general election unless the outbreak is brought under control.

With 46 cases confirmed yesterday, bringing the total to 395, Conservative vice-chairman Tim Collins said the government was putting "naked self-interest" before a national emergency if it pushed ahead with elections.

The government argued that delaying elections would send a "catastrophic signal" that would keep potential tourists away from Britain, damaging the hard-pressed tourist industry even further.

The government announced a multi-million pound package aimed at helping rural businesses facing bankruptcy, including an increase in central government contributions to rate relief for small businesses from 75 per cent to 95 per cent. A public information campaign encouraging the public to return to safe areas will also be launched.

An ICM poll in the Guardian finds that 52 per cent of voters think the election should be postponed, while 40 per cent favour going ahead. The poll also shows Labour support down three points to 44 per cent while the Tories are up three points to 35 per cent.