THE POP group Spice Girls were dragged into a row over the future of the Union Jack and the National Anthem last night, in the first full-blooded controversy of the general election campaign.
While Labour and the Conservatives fired the opening shots in battles over Health Service funding, and the proposed windfall tax on the privatised utilities, the Liberal Democrats were embarrassed to find two of their MPs suggesting new national emblems for a federal United Kingdom.
The MPs, Mr Malcolm Bruce and Mr Ray Michie, were first disowned by their own side before falling under Labour and Tory fire. In a pamphlet detailing their vision of constitutional reform - with state parliaments for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and an overall federal parliament responsible for defence and foreign policy - the MPs said: "This would amount to the rebirth of a United Federal Kingdom, perhaps reinforced with a new national flag and anthem - a fresh start for a new millennium." They continued: "For many people, the Union flag has been devalued in modern times by its association with the Tory party - and the National Front. The national anthem has been similarly hijacked by the English rugby team."
On the first day of a campaign in which Mr John Major has resolved to put the constitution to the fore, the reaction was instant and explosive. Mr Jim Wallace, the leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, immediately established distance, saying this had been a "personal contribution" by the two MPs. Asked on BBC radio if it was true that the Lib Dems were proposing to abandon the union flag in Scotland, a senior Lib Dem MP, Mr Menzies Campbell, said he would be "totally astonished" if that was what his colleagues had proposed.
But by the time Mr Bruce had explained himself to his party leader, Mr Paddy Ashdown, and insisted the contentious passages had been "highly tentative", the Scots Tories were on the attack.
The party's Scottish president, Mr David McLetchie, said the ideas were "no more than joke policies from a joke party". He said: "As far as the national anthem is concerned, I presume the Liberals are going to arrange to have a Song for Britain contest, hosted by Terry Wogan and Paddy Ashdown, and get the Spice Girls to sing all the entries. Of course, Spice Girl Geri wouldn't be able to wear her Union flag dress because that would be banned by the Liberals."
The Scottish Secretary, Mr Michael Forsyth, claimed the comments had betrayed the "real agenda" behind calls for constitutional reform. "They intend to shred Britain into a series of regions - regions which would be run from Europe. And nothing symbolises this desire more than their decision to tear up the Union Jack and rewrite the National Anthem." Mr Forsyth said Labour and the Liberal Democrats wanted to transfer powers to Brussels and "undermine our constitution from within: that will never build a better Britain. An end to our national flag and our national anthem is not what the people of Britain want to see. Nor is absorption within a European superstate."
With "New Labour" about to drape itself in the patriotic flag, the Shadow Scottish Secretary, Mr George Robertson, was not to be outdone. "This is a daft and ridiculous policy which should have nothing to do with constitutional reform," he said.
The row, providing a foretaste of bitter battles to come over Scottish devolution and Europe, was a welcome diversion for the Tories, on the day when the Sun shone on Mr Tony Blair, and two new opinion polls confirmed Labour with a widening 25 point lead. Still more worrying for the Tories was the NOP finding that the greater number of voters now trust Labour to run the economy better.
In the Commons Mr Major and Mr Blair clashed over Labour claims that the NHS is facing "a grave and potentially disastrous situation" with two thirds of health authorities and one third of hospital trusts in deficit to the tune of £300 million.
. It was confirmed last night that the motion extending the role of the Northern Ireland Grand Committee of the Commons will be among the measures salvaged before parliament prorogues on Friday. The motion will not be opposed by Labour when it comes before MPs later tonight.