Blair to answer questions direct from the public

Blair adopts interactive campaign approach

Blair adopts interactive campaign approach

Tony Blair will face an interactive grilling from voters today after thousands of people texted and emailed questions for him to answer at Labour’s spring conference.

Labour strategists believe the party must take a more spontaneous and open approach to campaigning to win around voters put off by formal speeches.

Capital Radio DJ Margherita Taylor will select the questions to be answered by the Prime Minister at the party’s gathering in Gateshead.

Commentators say Mr Blair is echoing the strategy he adopted when facing criticism over the war in Iraq and is increasingly opening himself to direct questions from the public.

Today’s interactive question session will follow Mr Blair’s whistle-stop tour of England yesterday, during which the Prime Minister unveiled six Labour election pledges.

Travelling by helicopter Mr Blair visited a number of marginal constituencies, unveiling an election pledge in each one, which together form Labour’s pledge card.

Cabinet ministers also joined Mr Blair in Labour’s interactive campaign approach, taking part in a pre-election cold-calling session on Saturday afternoon.

Ministers John Reid, Charles Clarke, Patricia Hewitt and Ruth Kelly joined a 100-strong team at Labour’s call-centre in Gosforth to canvass the party’s potential supporters.

Yesterday opposition parties attacked Labour’s pre-election pledges, claiming they would fail to restore public trust in Mr Blair, and the promises had all been heard before.