Labour: Leading in polls as final week looms

Labour is today launching the final stage of its election campaign, with an explicit appeal to women voters.

The party has its final election broadcast aired tonight on the major TV channels and is accompanying the film with a major advertising campaign running until the eve of polling day.

The "if you value it, vote for it" theme on the economy and public services will be "visibly" increased to include national and regional newspaper adverts, a cinema campaign, and a 30-second clip on the AOL website which it hopes will reach one million voters.

Featuring ordinary families and the comedian Arabella Weir, the broadcast boasts of Labour's record on stability and contrasts the government's tax credits, low interest rates and health and education spending with "Tory cuts" and "charges".

Election co-ordinator Alan Milburn conceded that private polling showed many female voters are still undecided on who to support, and that the final week of the contest would attempt to "sharpen the choice" for them.

"The objective of the final eight days is to crystallise the choice that will be facing electors in this campaign," he said.

The first newspaper advert has a red arrow containing the the text "lowest mortgage rates for 40 years" and a blue arrow going in the other direction saying that the Conservatives would take Britain back to 15 per cent borrowing costs.

Women

Milburn said Labour wanted to "bring the economy home" to people, explaining its relevance to their lives in terms of housing and funding public services.

But he admitted that "women feel the election is not focused on the issues that matter to them most".

He accused the Conservatives of moving the debate quickly from one subject to another, and promised that Labour would stick to its core themes in the closing days of the campaign.

"Women are a very important part of the whole coalition we have built," he said. "We are obviously seeking to close that gender gap."

The Cabinet minister also warned that the Tories' "cynical strategy" of playing down their chances was designed to convince wavering Labour supporters that they do not need to vote, or can afford to support the Liberal Democrats, allowing the Opposition "in through the back door".

"They are using this playing dead strategy because they believe that is the best way of keeping alive," Milburn said.

And he denied that the communications strategy was essentially defensive, stressing Labour's economic record and stability, rather than the radical forward offer on reform of the public services that he called for last year.

"I have always said that the economy would be centre stage," he insisted.