EUROPE and education emerged as the key election issues yesterday. Both the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, and the Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, claimed to have an answer to one of these "controversial" subjects.
Speaking to reporters as he flew to Pakistan, Mr Major said he had found the solution to one of the key obstacles to the future of Europe: the issue of allowing EU members to progress at different speeds in some policy areas.
"I can see a way of unlocking it. We still have to negotiate our way through, but I can see how it can be done. I will endeavour to see it is done in the discussions over the next few months."
Although Mr Major mysteriously refused to reveal his solution, it is understood he wants to have a deal partly agreed before the general election to heal the Tory divisions over Europe.
However, Mr Blair made education his key election issue yesterday. He pledged that he would drive Labour's policies through with the same "no holds barred" stance which Mrs Thatcher adopted for her trade union reforms during the 1980s.
"If we want to get this right, it has to be driven through from the top with no holds barred. This is my passion," he said.
A Labour education Bill would aim to reduce class sizes, establish homework contracts, set targets for schools, introduce minimum homework requirements and introduce national literacy targets, he said.
However, the Education Secretary, Mrs Gillian Shepherd, dismissed Labour's proposals as "just so much hot air". She pointed out that the local education authorities in areas with the worst literacy and numeracy standards were all Labour controlled.
"Over the last decade, all the government's reform have been designed to improve and raise standards in our schools. Labour has opposed every single measure. And the proposals trailed by Mr Blair are redundant because all of them are in hand," she said.
Calling for an immediate general election, Mr Blair accused Mr Major of operating a "fingertips government" which was damaging Britain.
"The public is getting fed up with waiting. Fingertips government isn't a government. I can see why they want to hang on but I can't for the life of me see why it's in the interests of the country to do anything other than call the election and get it all out of the way," he said.
Meanwhile it was suggested yesterday that if the Tories win the election, they would privatise London Underground. It is expected Mr Major will make this a commitment in the party's election manifesto.
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have pledged they would fight such a proposal, claiming a privatised system would undermine safety standards.