10:56pm UK, Tuesday April 05, 2005

Tony Blair says the General Election on Thursday May 5 will be a "fundamental choice" between Labour and the Tories.

180 smiling Tony Blair announces election date

Mr Blair outside No 10

He announced the election date on his return from Buckingham Palace, where he asked the Queen to dissolve parliament on Monday.

It ended ended weeks of speculation and triggered the first frantic bout of campaigning by the party leaders.

The Prime Minister told reporters in Downing Street his "mission for the third term" was to "build on the progress made".

Above all, he said, he wanted to "take that hard-won economic stability, the investment in our public services... and make it last for the future.

"So it is a big choice. A fundamental choice. And there is a lot at stake."

May 5 is the day already set for elections for 34 county councils across England, three unitary authorities, Northern Ireland council elections and mayoral contests in four English towns.

In the next few days there will be frantic horse-trading as the Government tries to push through as much unfinished business as it can.

The controversial ID cards Bill has already been dropped and there are bound to be other casualties.

In a message to party workers Mr Blair said: "Labour hasn't, by any means, achieved all we want yet. And you may not agree with every decision I have made.

"But there's been real progress in communities up and down the land. Our country is fairer, more modern and successful than it was eight years ago."

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats kicked off their campaigns before Mr Blair's announcement.

Tory leader Michael Howard said people could either reward Mr Blair for eight years of broken promises, or vote for his party which "has promised action on the issues that matter".

Speaking in Newcastle, Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy vowed: "I am going to be addressing people's hopes, not playing on people's fears."

:: Three polls suggest Labour's lead over the Conservatives has fallen to three points or less, while another shows the Tories with a five-point lead.