Blair by the sea, trying to turn tide of apathy

HAT began in Sedgefield 25 long days ago ended last night, some 70 miles south in Scarborough, as Tony Blair gave his last address of the 2005 General Election campaign.

Unscripted - although he knows it all by heart by now - and before an audience of party members in the North Yorkshire Spa complex, he delivered an impassioned speech urging Labour supporters not to be bowed down by apathy, but to vote today.

"This is a tough and tight race," he said. "There is a lot of work to do in these next few hours. People will wake up on May 6 either to a Labour Government or to a Conservative Government. If you value a strong economy, low interest rates, vote for it.

"If you value the NHS, vote for it. If you value the investment in our schools, vote for it. Vote to take this country into the future not to return it to the Tories."

The campaign to win a historic third term had begun at Trimdon Labour Club on April 10, when Mr Blair was formally adopted as the candidate for Sedgefield.

It ended last night in Scarborough, where Lawrie Quinn is clinging to a 3,585 majority in the seat that stretches north through Whitby and beyond.

"It's very tight - it should be, it's a Tory seat," said one local activist.

Another was less optimistic but more succinct. "Dicey," she said.

The local newspaper seemed to know the result, though: "Tony's record stay at No 1," was a headline in last night's edition, but it turned out to be a story about Tony Christie making chart history with Is This The Way To Amarillo.

John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, who doubled as Mr Blair's warm-up act last night, said: "Lawrie was a railway engineer specialising in landslides before he became an MP. That might be why he won in 1997 and 2001 and he will do it again in 2005."

The drive between the constituencies of Sedgefield and Scarborough, through the marginals of south Teesside and across the moors to the seaside, had yielded a wholly unscientific landslide: scores of Conservative posters nailed to farmers' fences, just three Labour ones and only a single, rather home-made looking, Liberal Democrat effort.

And arriving at the Spa complex, there were metaphors a-plenty. The sun was setting, the tide was going out, leaving a large, beautiful expanse of freshly laundered golden sands unblemished by human footprint. Has Blairism left enough of a mark on enough people to win a third term?

Outside the complex, protestors rhythmically banged drums and dustbins against the war. Others shouted about the alleged secret closure of Whitby Hospital which, they said, would be announced after the election.

Inside, jacketless and relaxed and out of hearing of the war drums that had been banging at his back throughout the campaign, Mr Blair spoke of the domestic agenda that has so rarely been heard.

He spoke about creating 300,000 vocational apprenticeships by the end of the year, of wearing a white band around his wrist reminding him of poverty in Africa and of the need to continue reforming public services.

He said: "I want to see three things. The best anti-social behaviour legislation we can get. Secondly, I want to make sure we get better investment in facilities for young people. Nothing excuses bad behaviour, but it's a matter of commonsense that our kids have to have somewhere to go, somewhere to play, somewhere to be involved.

"Thirdly, I want to see a record number of police maintained and supplemented by community wardens so that in every community in this country we have a visible, uniformed presence on our streets helping not just with crime, but with the fear of crime."

He finished with a flourish beneath the guilded ornamental ironwork and the red velour fabrics of the Spa. "When people vote tomorrow, let them, of course, think about all the good things that we can do, but also of the values that motivate us. Basic values of justice, fairness and decency for British people.

"Good decent, hard-working families need a Labour Government on their side with one simple vision that everyone, regardless of their class, background, race or religion should get the chance to succeed, and it is hard work and merit and ability that determine where you get to in life, not where you came from."

It left enough of a mark upon those inside to give Mr Blair a standing, emotional ovation.

Outside, the protestors had left a mark on the beach. In 8ft high letters their writing on the sand said: "Blair out, Quinn out. Both useless liers."

What was that about "Education, education, education"?

Of course, before the polls open this morning, the tide will come in and wash away such sentiments. The beach will again be a blank canvas and it is up to the British people to put their mark upon it as they see fit.

Campaign Quotes

This is the moment when the people take control and the future of the country is in their hands - Tony Blair

It is not telling the truth that makes politics seem negative, that makes people think all politicians do not tell the truth. I don't think about that. I think about what I can do today to show the people of this country they do not have to settle for second best - Michael Howard

He's been busy practising drawing crosses with his crayons - Pete Ryland, of Colchester, Essex, whose 18-month-old son Oscar has been sent voting papers

The Conservative challenge, if challenge it was, has petered out. They can't win and I think that most people have concluded they certainly don't deserve to win. Labour are now self-evidently running scared from the challenge that we represent - Charles Kennedy

What strikes me is how incredibly useless the political classes actually are at assessing the state of the nation - Andrew Marr, the BBC's political editor

We could be facing a hung Parliament. This, I feel, is what the country wants as it confronts three party leaders, none of whom gives them a reason to vote for them with any enthusiasm - Mo Mowlam, former

Northern Ireland Secretary