During the last election campaign, Tony Blair warned that "if people end up opting out by drifting off to the Lib Dems then it only takes one in ten of our voters to drift off to the Lib Dems (and) you end up with a Tory government".

This claim was shown to be patent nonsense. But engendering a climate of fear has proved a useful tactic by Labour in the intervening period.

Chairman Blears* has been trying to rally the depleted ranks of the party, according to the BBC, by using the same argument:

"The Tories are making a comeback, the next general election will not be easy.

"A swing against Labour of just 1.3% could see the Tories forming the next government."

Again, this is patent nonsense. A 1.3% swing removes Labour's majority. Is she really trying to say that some sort of ragtag coalition of Tories, Lib Dems, Ulster Unionists (Democratic and Official), SDLP, Sinn Fein, Scottish Nationalists, Plaid Cymru, Save Kidderminster Hospital, and George Galloway (FFS) are going to form a government??? For the Tories actually to win a majority requires a swing of more like 10% - Dave's Blue Labour have not achieved anything like that (and God Forbid that they ever do).

Hazel - let me give you some advice. Rather than trying to scare people into voting for you, try and give them some positive reasons.

* I once voted for this woman. I hang my head in shame, but in mitigation it was in 1997 ...