Members of the public increasingly feel let down by the Labour government, Michael Howard has said.

His comments came as the Conservative Party launched its push for victory in the June elections.

Promising an "energetic" campaign between now and the elections, the Tory leader committed himself to leading an administration that "stands up for Britain".

Howard was joined by most of the shadow Cabinet today for the launch of the "Let down by Labour" campaign.

The event highlighted the "failure of Tony Blair and Labour to live up to the promises they made when elected in 1997".

A "real Labour manifesto" issues by the Tories criticised Tony Blair for failing to deliver on his promises.

The document highlighted key Labour pledges and set out a criticism of the government's record.

It included the Labour commitment to "make education our number one priority".

The Conservatives said the reality was that a million children play truant from school, a teacher is attacked every seven minutes, while one in three 11-year-olds leave primary school unable to read, write and count properly.

Among the other Labour pledges examined in the document was the promise to "save the NHS".

The Tories said: "Reality: A million people on NHS waiting lists."

Launching the document, Howard said the public "feel let down by Labour".

"Tony Blair promised that there would be no tax increases at all.  But Labour have put taxes up 66 times," he said.

"That’s the equivalent of £5,000 for every household in the country."

With a general election predicted to be held next year, the Conservatives are set to continue the campaign beyond June's elections.

"Britain is a great country. We are a hardworking, creative and ambitious people," said Howard. 

"But we could and should be doing much better than we are today.  Seven years ago, Labour were elected with high hopes. 

"They had a huge majority and the blessing of the British people.  But after seven years, people see that little has changed. They know that Labour have let them down."

Howard's alternative

The Tory leader said he had a clear alternative to Labour.

"We want Britain to have the first-class public services we deserve," Howard said.

"Every day, we all make sophisticated and complex choices – taking out a mortgage, buying a car, booking a holiday.

"But Labour’s failure to reform means that the way our public services are run has not kept up with the way we live our lives. 

"Their failure is not the fault of the dedicated men and women who work in our schools and hospitals.  It is the fault of a system which Labour lack the courage to change."

Howard pledged to devolve power to public servants in the front line, while extending choice to parents and patients.

"I want to lead a government that means what it says," he added.

"It will not say one thing to one interest group and something else to another.  It will be consistent in its approach – chasing results, not newspaper headlines. 

"I want to lead a government that is proud of Britain, stands up for Britain and wants the best for Britain. I want to lead a government that won’t let you down."