Tony Blair today postponed the General Election until June 7.

The Prime Minister scrapped his plan to go to the country on May 3 to focus purely on beating the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Mr Blair acted as he put the local elections back five weeks in an historic move.

Speaking to journalists outside 10 Downing Street, Mr Blair said the national interest was "best served" by delaying the elections.

He said the decision was a response to "the feelings and sensitivities of people in the communities affected".

But Mr Blair rejected Tory calls for an indefinite postponement, warning that would be "highly damaging to the national interest".

The Prime Minister refused to be drawn on a date for the General Election - but political commentators widely expect it to be June 7 as well.

Mr Blair had previously insisted that postponing the elections would give the impression that Britain was "closed for business".

Conservative leader William Hague said he "accepted" the decision to postpone the local elections.

But Mr Hague said: "We are not in favour of a new date being set for the elections until the crisis is resolved."

It is the first time since the Second World War that elections have been postponed in Britain by a national crisis.

Home Secretary Jack Straw will introduce emergency legislation in Parliament this afternoon to push back the council elections until June.

Some Cabinet members are reportedly furious at Mr Blair's decision to scrap a May 3 General Election with Labour riding high in the opinion polls.

But Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid said: "The Prime Minister has done what was absolutely correct.

"He has directed his attention towards foot-and-mouth disease."

The number of cases has risen to 915 - but there is growing confidence that the Army is starting to get on top of the epidemic.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown insisted the mass slaughter policy meant the outbreak was "most certainly under control".

The Government has further delayed a decision on whether to launch a vaccination programme to prevent the disease spreading.

Meanwhile, organic farmer Peter Kindersley has withdrawn his legal challenge to the Government's mass slaughter policy.

A spokeswoman said Mr Kindersley had achieved his aim of putting vaccination onto the agenda as an alternative policy.

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