THE British Prime Minister, Major, is considering facing Labour leader, Mr Tony debate for the first live television between a sitting prime minister and a challenger during a general election campaign.
It is understood that Conservative Central Office believes the debate would allow Mr Major to present his personal philosophy the country as well as his party's policies.
Officials are confident that Mr Major would "win hands down" as several recent opinion revealed that he is more popular than his party.
Mr Blair said he would be "delighted" to participate in the debate and challenged Mr Major to call an immediate general election. "I am taking this more or less as a firm offer, in which case it is accepted with alacrity. If they want to have a debate there is a very simple way of having it which is to bring forward the date of the election," he added.
However, the Conservative party chairman, Dr Brian Mawhinney, refused to say whether Mr Major would willingly participate in a televised debate, particularly as the Tories had always previously attacked the suggestion.
"Whether we have in a general election a debate between Mr Major and Mr Blair is something which we may turn our minds to. . . Mr Blair is already being pushed around and trampled under foot, in the most gracious way, by Mr Major twice a week in the House of Commons," he said.
Although the Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Paddy Ashdown, also welcomed the proposal, it is understood that Conservative officials would oppose his participation in the debate because it would make a two against one uneven contest.
However, Mr Ashdown said a multi party debate was not a problem in other countries. What is important now is to get the whole issue out of the hands of politicians pushing for relative advantage and into the hands of broadcasting authorities or some other respected independent body to draw up the ground rules and issue the invitations.
"There are good precedents for such multi party debates in the USA and Germany, so drawing cup the rules for Mr Major, Mr Blair and myself should not be, difficult. A leaders debate could be a real enhancement of our democracy," he said.
Earlier Mr Blair also defended the party's decision to ballot members on policy decisions before the general election, arguing that it would prevent divisions within the party over policy issues.
"I am not going to trade with any group or faction. I will do what is right. . . What has been wrong with this country is a drift and lack of direction.
"I don't want to repeat the mistakes of some Labour governments in the past of coming to power with a vast programme, hugely raised expectations and trying to do everything at once," he said.
Mr Mawhinney was one of several senior Conservatives who told interviewers yesterday that Labour's poll lead would melt away by the time of the election, which must be held by May 1997.
They were seeking to build on a buoyant gathering of party activists, held in Harrogate on Friday and Saturday, at which Mr Major promised to defy the odds and lead the Conservatives to a fifth consecutive term in office.
The Prime Minister gave a combative speech aimed at taking attention away from the crisis over mad cow disease (BSE). "Never mind the opinion polls. Bucking the trend is the story of my life, and we will do it again." Mr Major said.
Ministers told delegates to forget the splits over the EU and broken tax pledges.