The British government yesterday resisted sustained pressure to delay calling a general election, as the Conservatives questioned whether foot-and-mouth could be dealt with during an election campaign.
As Downing Street declared the government had no plans to delay local elections scheduled for May 3rd, a move widely interpreted as signalling the parliamentary elections would go ahead on the same day, the Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, said he had asked officials to draw up a report on how elections might be affected by the outbreak.
Refusing to declare a preference about whether the general election should go ahead in May, Mr Hague said: "I think this depends on what happens over the coming week, whether this is getting better or worse. I will make my view clear, but I will make it clear when we have seen the reports from party officials over the coming days about the practicalities and fairness of holding elections in the current circumstances. I won't be afraid to give my advice, but I think I should do that at the appropriate time."
But Mr Hague raised questions about whether the government could deal with the foot-and-mouth outbreak during a general election campaign when the work of government departments is effectively suspended.
"Whether ministers think in a week's time they will be able to deal with a crisis of these or greater dimensions at the same time as having a general election campaign - that is a question for some time over the next week," he told BBC R4.
Further pressure to delay calling the general election came from the president of the National Farmers' Union, Mr Ben Gill, who said the rural community would feel "disenfranchised" if an election went ahead during the crisis.
His remarks came as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Gordon Brown, was reported as having told Cabinet colleagues that the decision on whether to go to the polls on May 3rd was a close call.
In a report in yesterday's Guardian, Mr Brown was said to be concerned that the British electorate would not understand why a Labour government was pressing ahead with plans for a general election a year before the end of its term if the foot-and-mouth crisis deepened.
Earlier, amid growing calls for the resignation of the Europe Minister, Mr Keith Vaz, Downing Street again declared that he had the Prime Minister's "full support". Mr Vaz admitted the investigation into his financial dealings would have been "mortally damaging" if he had been a Cabinet member.
PA adds:
Britain's Advertising Standards Authority expressed its disappointment yesterday over the failure of political parties to agree a voluntary code of conduct on election ads.
Revised guidelines mean that ethical rules for normal advertisers will not apply to any ads aimed at influencing voters.