Recriminations and flying egg dog Major

IT began six weeks ago and ended with a splattered egg, chanting, hecklers and recriminations

IT began six weeks ago and ended with a splattered egg, chanting, hecklers and recriminations. On his final day of the campaign, the only outcome John Major confidently predicted was that Chelsea would win the FA Cup.

With 24 hours till the polling booths opened, the recriminations over who was to blame for the expected Tory routing had already begun in earnest. First to berate Mr Major was a disgruntled party activist during a morning election phone in.

Margaret Curtiss, from Southampton, declared the "writing had been on the wall for the last four years" that the Tories would lose the election and she bitterly criticised the campaign tactics.

"We are going to lose tomorrow, John, because we have not got that message across. We have not woken up in time to the fact those goal posts have moved and the Labour Party are a different animal, and that ultimately has to rest at your door."

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Clearly taken aback, Mr Major promised he never had been nor would be complacent and predicted the election could still be won. "I don't share your view that we are going to lose," he added.

Back on the campaign trail, Mr Major described today as Britain's Day of Destiny and warned voters not to put their crosses in the wrong boxes. But unfortunately for the Conservatives his message was drowned out in the marginal seat of Stevenage by Labour supporters chanting: "Just one more day to go," and the Tory faithful shouting: "Five more years.

As Mr Major denounced the rowdy scenes, citing it as proof that old Labour still existed, an egg flew over his head, landing on the roof of his Daimler.

Amid the noisy scenes, Mr Major grabbed a BBC microphone. "Well, this is the Labour Party in the country. This is what they are really like. Don't be misled by the warm words about Labour's change at the press conferences. This is the old Labour Party out in the country, wanting to spend, wanting to nationalise, wanting to demonstrate, wanting to support the trade unions," he said.

Wembley is not famous for being the bedrock of swaying voters but it makes a nice photo opportunity. So just hours before England's World Cup qualifier match with Georgia, Mr and Mrs Major proved they, too, could be winners by posing next to the FA Cup.

Although a lifelong Chelsea supporter, Mr Major confessed that for a "variety of reasons" he could not attend the Cup Final match against Middlesborough on May 17th. Whether this was because he was expecting to be busy with his prime ministerial duties or due to the much publicised fact that whenever he attends a match Chelsea lose, Mr Major refused to say.