Campbell: Back with Blair

Labour has been accused of mounting a dirty tricks campaign against the Conservatives following news that Tony Blair has brought Alastair Campbell back to the frontline.

Campbell's appointment as head of election communications has sparked claims that Labour is set to mount a negative campaign against the Tories.

Campbell's dramatic return to the frontline effectively puts him second in command to Alan Milburn as campaign supremo.

Information row

Over the course of the weekend it has been alleged that Labour Party activists have been primed to use the new Freedom of Information Act to demand access to papers relating to the previous Tory administration.

Campbell has been accused of falsely claiming that John Major last week attempted to block the publication of documents relating to the Black Wednesday currency crisis.

The former prime minister took to the radio studios on Saturday to deny attempting to block the release of the 1992 papers.

He attacked Labour's "spin, smear and sleaze allegations".

Major went on to accuse Blair of presiding over "the worst period of political chicanery I can remember at any time in my political life".

Meanwhile Cabinet secretary Sir Andrew Turnbull entered the debate to back up Major's denial.

He had been accused of working with John Major and Norman Lamont to stop the publication of the 1992 papers.

Turnbull said the procedures had been "entirely proper" and denied any suggestion of either wrong-doing or a cover-up.

But Labour's Alan Milburn denied that Campbell played any part in the saga.

"People should know that Alastair Campbell... had nothing whatever to do with the Freedom of Information requests that have become the subject of a good deal of media comment," he said.

"John Major has accused Alastair of being involved in the request for papers relating to Black Wednesday.

"Mr Major, and his BBC interviewer, and those Sunday newspaper reporters who wrote up the story, know for a fact that the request came from the Financial Times.

"But they will not let the facts get in the way of an attempt to undermine our campaign."

Aggressive

Despite the row Labour still appears set to mount an aggressive campaign against the Conservatives.

The party is said to have strong evidence that its full frontal onslaught against Michael Howard is working with voters.

Following controversial posters depicting Howard as a flying pig and as Fagin, Labour claims its polling shows his support is in "free fall".

But both posters have also led to claims of anti-Semitism - prompting criticism of Labour's "dirty tactics".

Howard, however, remains confident that he can win over voters between now and an expected May 5 general election.

In a full page advertisement in the Sunday Times, the party leader states: "All my political life I have stood up for people who play by the rules.

"If I am given the opportunity to serve my country, I will ensure that at long last their rights come first."

The Tories, however, also stand accused of getting personal following an attack by party co-chairman Liam Fox on Cherie Blair.

Dr Fox said she would use the Blair name "whenever there's cash to be made".

He was criticising an Australian advertisement featuring the prime minister's wife which is trailing her imminent lecture tour.