TONY Blair is confident Labour will wipe out the memories of Labour's shock defeat in 1992 by winning Bolton on May 1.

He believes the local Labour victory, widely but wrongly tipped at the last election, will eventually be his in nine days time.

Speaking from his battle bus as it headed for Conservative Tom Sackville's key marginal seat of Bolton West, he said: "Things are rather different this time.

"They are different for two reasons. The Conservative Party have changed for the worse. They have broken promises on taxes, on the National Health Service, on crime. The Labour Party have changed for the better."

Looking tanned, relaxed and sipping a bottle of mineral water, Mr Blair said he was optimistic but not complacent about moving into Downing Street.

"We are running well and getting a very good reception but you cannot take anything for granted."

Asked if he believed the opinion pollsters - predicting a massive Labour majority - he replied: "I never pay much attention to the polls but obviously they have been consistent over a period of time.

"It is important we carry on winning people's support and that is what we are doing."

But Mr Blair refused to say if he would follow Neil Kinnock and step down if Labour lost the election against all the odds.

He told the BEN: "I hope very much that never happens but if it does I must cross that bridge when I come to it."

Mr Blair insisted a Labour government would make things easier for councillors at Bolton town hall, who blame annual spending cuts on the Tory government.

Mr Blair cited a reduction in class sizes and the phased release of capital receipts as ways a Labour government could help to improve local services.

He said: "They know money does not grow on trees and we are not promising that. But we are promising to start to put things right, to make things better, and we can do it."

On Europe, the Labour leader claimed he would fare better than Mr Major in tough negotiations and said outspoken Eurosceptic election candidates had damaged the Conservative Party's electoral chances.

About the controversial poster depicting him as a dummy, he added: "I do not think grown up people trade those kind of insults."

Finally, Mr Blair claimed he personally was holding up well during his exhausting schedule on the campaign trail but admitted that many voters were already bored by the election.

"It is great for me because I am meeting people and getting a good reception," he said.

"But it has gone on for far too long and the news coverage has been very poor."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.