Blair keeps healthy lead in polls
 | |
| |
|  VIDEO |
 The huge difference in the cost of national elections in the United States and Britain.
 War in Iraq overshadows economic success England has enjoyed under Blair.
 Unpopular in Britain, President Bush stays away from Blair during campaign.
 The legality of British PM Tony Blair's decision to join the Iraq war is challenged.
|
RELATED |
• Tony's tan perks up dull election
|
|
LONDON, England -- UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party retained a healthy lead in opinion polls published Monday, as the national election campaign entered its final three days.
The Populus survey for The Times newspaper put Labour on 42 percent -- 13 points ahead of the main opposition Conservatives on 29 percent and the Liberal Democrats on 21 percent.
Populus interviewed 1,427 adults by telephone between April 27-30. There was a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
But Labour's lead was narrower among those certain to vote. The latest MORI poll found that among definite voters, Labour had 36 percent support, compared with 33 percent for the Conservatives and 22 percent for the Liberal Democrats.
Blair warned Monday that apathy and protest votes could cost his governing Labour Party a third term in office.
He fears that a backlash over the Iraq war, causing core supporters to stay at home or switch allegiance, could damage his party's fortunes.
"The economy is the central question in this election," said Blair at a news conference Monday before embarking on a three-day tour of districts where Labour's grip is under threat. "Both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat plans are a threat to economic stability."
The Liberal Democrats, the only major party to oppose the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, said the war and Blair's credibility were the most important issues for voters.
"History will certainly judge Tony Blair on Iraq, but first the British people will judge him on Thursday," said Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, adding that "Blair's judgment on the Iraq war was fatally flawed."
Meanwhile, a British soldier was killed Monday during fighting in Iraq, the Ministry of Defense said.
Officials said the soldier from the 12th Mechanized Brigade died from injuries "sustained in hostile action" at al-Amara in southern Iraq.
The death brings the total number of British troops killed in Iraq to 87. Britain has around 8,000 troops in the country, stationed mostly in southern Iraq.
Speaking at Labour's morning election news conference, Blair said: "I send my profound condolences to the family.
"It underlines once again the extraordinary work and sacrifice that British armed forces are making in Iraq, to help Iraq become a stable and democratic country that's no longer a threat to its region and the world. And we should be immensely grateful for the work they do."
Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
