TONY Blair put education back at the top of the election agenda with a powerful speech at Trimdon Labour Club on Sunday, marking the real start of the 2005 campaign.

Echoing his famous 1997 pledge, Mr Blair said: "Education, education, education - now and forever the key to the door of Britain's future success."

Mr Blair was unanimously adopted as the candidate to defend his 17,713 majority in Sedgefield.

In an impassioned speech, he said: "To anyone who thinks politics doesn't matter or who says it's all spin and no substance, I say go to the schools with the additional teachers, go to the hospitals with the nurses and doctors, go to the SureStart children's centre at Ferryhill and now others in Chilton and Newton Aycliffe. That is a New Labour Government in action. We can be proud of it."

Among Mr Blair's rivals are Tory candidate Al Lockwood, who was Ministry of Defence spokesman during the second Gulf War.

Group Capt Lockwood, a former RAF fighter pilot turned to politics after leaving the Armed Forces earlier this year. He said: "Since this Government came to power the people of Sedgefield have been subjected to an increased tax burden of 60 per cent. Mr Blair promised to cut crime, improve school standards and not to raise taxes but he has failed to deliver."

He is one of several anti-war candidates who have said they will be standing.

One of them is the father of a young military policeman killed in Iraq. Reg Keys, father of L Cpl Tom Keys, has told the people of Sedgefield they have an opportunity to make Mr Blair accountable for 'an unjust war in Iraq' by electing him as their independent MP on May 5.

L Cpl Keys was one of six Red Caps killed by an Iraqi mob as they manned a small police station in Al Majar Al Kabir on June 24, 2003.

Peace campaigner Helen John is preparing to challenge Tony Blair for the second time.

Ms John, a founder of the Greenham Common and Menwith Hill protests, is running under the banner of Menwith Hill Women's Peace Campaign.

She is calling for all US bases to leave Britain and will also campaign on the war in Iraq.

Ms John stood against Mr Blair in the 2001 election, but was forced to mount her campaign from prison after being jailed for causing criminal damage at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

David Shayler, the Middlesbrough-supporting MI5 whistleblower, is also standing on an anti-war ticket.

Former Page 3 model Cherri Gilham started her campaign against Mr Blair as an anti-war candidate but is now standing as a Pensioners' Party candidate.

Ms Gilham, 60, has joined a party set up six months ago to represent pensioners.

She said: "From my experience of chatting to many senior citizens in Sedgefield, I've gathered that vast swathes of people are seriously disenchanted with Mr Blair."

Also hoping to dent Mr Blair's majority is Bill Brown, a 75-year-old property developer, planing to stand for the UK Independence Party. Mr Brown, who lives just outside Sedgefield village, runs Merryknowle Properties.

Jonathan Cockburn, Gloucestershire businessman and former Labour supporter formed the New Socialist Party last October but has renamed his organisation The Blair Must Go Party. He has distributed 14,750 leaflets portraying the Prime Minister as a war criminal to Sedgefield homes.

"I've changed the name of my party because I want to have a broader appeal and I'm hoping to pick up votes from not just disaffected Labour supporters but from Tories and LibDems too," said Mr Cockburn.

Other declared candidates include Robert Browne for the Liberal Democrats. Mr Browne is a reinsurance broker and consultant specialising in Central and Eastern Europe and Third World countries. He is director of Robert Browne & Partners Ltd, and was a Member of Lloyd's from 1979 to 1995. He joined the Liberal Party while still at school in 1960, and enjoyed prominent positions with the Young Liberals.

Fiona Luckhurst-Matthews plans to stand for Veritas and Melodie Staniforth for the Monster Raving Loony Party.

Nominations for the General Election close on Tuesday.