MR TONY BLAIR last night accused the British Prime Minister of "running away" from the general election, as May 1st reemerged as a favoured poll date.
Mr Major continued to tease - apparently ruling out March 20th and keeping his April options alive, before hinting again that May 1st remains his preference.
And as Mr Major renewed his pre election offensive on Labour's plans for Scottish and Welsh devolution, senior Ulster Unionists again signalled their willingness to help Mr Major postpone the general election until chosen date. The expectation in unionist circles at Westminster is that Mr Major will announce his intentions by the third week in March, opening up his option for a six week election campaign.
Senior members of the shadow cabinet last night accepted that Monday's challenge to the Agriculture Minister, Mr Douglas Hogg, over his handling of the BSE crisis, is likely to fail. The nine UUP MPs are likely to abstain, and there is a question mark over the attendance of two MEPs, Mr John Hume and the Rev Ian Paisley, given a debate in Brussels on the issue on the same day.
Instead of facing a confidence vote on Tuesday, Mr Major hopes to turn the tables on Labour on Thursday - in a set piece debate which he will lead against Labour's plans for devolution and constitutional reform.
In a foretaste of that, Mr Major yesterday warned the Welsh Tory conference that Labour would take "a hammer and chisel" to the British constitution.
Mr Major posed 11 questions on devolution to which he claimed Labour had no answer. "None of this is party political knockabout," he declared. "These questions are at the heart of our nation's future. Britain deserves an answer. No nods and winks. No smoke and mirrors. This is the beginning of the British inquisition for Mr Blair. Bluster and soundbites will not do."
Mr Major said: "Labour would throw a bone to the yapping dogs in Welsh and Scottish separatism in the vain hope they might then follow Labour. They would gerrymander Britain and play party politics with our nation for pure political advantage. A thousand days of Labour government could ditch a thousand years of British history. It's a poor bargain. Better In keep the history and ditch Labour."
And the Prime Minister linked his assaults on Labour's domestic and European programme, portraying devolution as an instrument for the "Europe of the regions". Mr Major declared: "Its policy of dispersing responsibility in all directions - to Brussels, to Cardiff, to Edinburgh, to the regions of England - would make parliament a remnant of our democracy, a mausoleum to the nation state."
PA reports:
Retiring MPs will be able to claim up to an extra £11,600 if the general election is called after the beginning of April, the start of the new financial year.
A Commons official said MPs annual office costs allowance had risen to £46,364 and that retiring MPs would be able to claim the amount for the first quarter, even though the present parliament will not last for more than a week or two, at most, after the start of the financial year.
Thus, retiring MPs have an interest in Mr Major waiting until April before he formally names the date.
A Labour backbencher, Mr Andrew Mackinlay, said it would be "contrary to the spirit" of MPs' pay and allowances for MPs to make such a claim.