All parties set for last minute poll push

Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy have been continuing their whistlestop tour of key marginals ahead of Thursday's general election.

With just two days of campaigning left before the country goes to the polls, Labour has warned of the risks of the country electing a Conservative government by default.

Labour fears the Conservatives could form a government if one in 10 of its supporters stays at home or defects to the Liberal Democrats.

Speaking on Monday Tony Blair said the Tories are attempting to demotivate Labour voters.

The prime minister is joined today by chancellor Gordon Brown as he mounts a 48-hour blitz in crucial marginal seats.

The government's two main figures are focusing on the measures a third-term Labour government would include in its first Queen's Speech.

Labour hopes that by putting the chancellor alongside the prime minister, voters will feel motivated to turn out on Thursday.

The party has also mounted a PR offensive, with newspaper advertisements warning that the country could "wake up with Michael Howard" on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Tory leader was also spending Tuesday in key marginals, kicking off the day in the West Midlands where Conservatives hope they can beat a raft of Labour candidates.

Howard says he is offering "action not talk" in Thursday's general election.

Kennedy was on Tuesday campaigning in the Tory leader's Folkestone and Hythe constituency, before moving on to Weston-Super-Mare, Watford and London.

Speaking this morning the Lib Dem leader said the prime minister cannot be trusted to run the country following the Iraq crisis.

"Labour is running scared of the Liberal Democrats. But it's too late for Tony Blair now," said Kennedy. "The Conservatives can't win this election - and quite frankly they don't deserve to."

The Lib Dems deny that a vote for them could result in a Tory victory, but have signalled that a large swing from Labour could result in a hung parliament.