The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, yesterday publicly backed his embattled Deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott, whose scuffle with an egg-throwing protester dominated election campaigning. As the Prime Minister played down the seriousness of the incident, insisting he could not hope for a "more loyal, more true and more decent" deputy, North Wales Police refused to rule out the possibility that Mr Prescott could face charges over punching the protester.
Any hopes Labour might have had that policies rather than personalities would dictate the day's electioneering were dealt a swift blow when the Prime Minister faced repeated questioning about the incident during the party's daily press conference in London, which was meant to focus on education.
"He cares more about his country and he cares passionately about his politics, but John is John and I'm lucky to have him as my deputy.
"It was not simply a case of something being thrown at him from a distance. He felt someone whack him and turned round and reacted. People do react instinctively in that way," Mr Blair told reporters. But he conceded: "Of course, it would have been better if this incident hadn't happened."
Mr Prescott, who has often been criticised for his bluff, no-nonsense style of politics, described the incident as "fright ening and regrettable".
The Deputy Prime Minister had just arrived in Rhyl, north Wales, to deliver a speech at a nearby theatre on Wednesday evening when Mr Craig Evans (29), an agricultural worker, threw an egg in his face from close range.
Mr Prescott immediately responded by punching Mr Evans in the face, and the two men became involved in a scuffle on the ground. Mr Evans, who was protesting about plans to ban hunting with dogs and the problems faced by the agriculture industry, was arrested and released on bail yesterday to appear in court in June.
In a statement issued through his solicitor last night, he said he had made his protest because he was angry about the lack of support for farmers and farm workers. It had been a "very hard winter" and there had been little work available on farms in Britain.
His solicitor, Mr Gwyn Jones, said his client had been involved in a protest "which became rather heated. Mr Evans accepts that there was an incident which got out of control and that he has never sought to deny that he was the person who threw the egg. It was never his intention that the matter should have gone so far".
Mr Prescott kept a low profile campaigning in Scotland yesterday, and several public events were cancelled. In a statement he said he had acted in self-defence: "I walked through the crowd, following the police through a very narrow pathway, and suddenly felt a blow to the side of my head. I did not know what it was. I responded to defend myself in this melee and I tried to get away as soon as possible from the incident."
Several Conservatives called on Mr Prescott to resign, but while the party leader, Mr William Hague, condemned the incident as an example of New Labour's loss of control and said Mr Prescott should have acted more responsibly, he stopped short of seeking his departure from government.
It was not surprising, he said, that Mr Prescott had been "rattled" during a day which saw Mr Blair confronted by an angry woman complaining about the government's record on the National Health Service and the Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, slow-handclapped by members of the Police Federation.
"Yesterday was the day that Labour found out reality bites . . . For the first time, the real people have seen the real face of New Labour when things begin to slip beyond their control. It is not a pretty sight," he said. The Liberal Democrats leader, Mr Charles Kennedy, also said Mr Prescott should not have resorted to violence. "I think with the benefit of hindsight probably John Prescott himself would acknowledge that a degree of more self-control on this occasion would have been better for all," he said.
North Wales Police, meanwhile, said it was carrying out a thorough investigation, and everyone involved in the incident would be interviewed. If a complaint was made against Mr Prescott it would be investigated and the possibility of charges being brought against him could not be ruled out.
At a press conference in north Wales, Supt Phil Thompson defended security arrangements and insisted the force would not be "coerced or badgered" into making a quick decision about further action. Even boxing managers commented on the incident. Mr Frank Maloney, the co-manager of the former world championship boxer, Lennox Lewis, offered to manage Mr Prescott if he ever considered changing careers. "I have not seen a jab as good as that since Lennox used his jab to beat Gary Mason at Wembley in 1991," he said.