John Prescott has admitted he loves an election fight, especially in Tory held seats where he can "rough them up".

Speaking in an interview with the Independent, the deputy prime minister said he knew that launching his campaign tour of Britain in Michael Howard's Folkestone and Hythe constituency was provocative.

But he maintained that that was what election campaigns were all about.

He also admitted that Iraq was proving a problem in getting Labour supporters to vote.

"In the 1997 election, they could not wait to get out and vote because they knew what they wanted to get rid of," Prescott said.

And he conceded: "When you have been eight years in government, there is always something people aren't happy with."