editorial comment The poodle doing the "Fear Factor". What's next?

TONY Blair will place national security and crime at the heart of his bid for a third term in Downing Street under a ‘scare’ strategy similar to the one that helped return George W Bush to the White House.

‘Operation Third Term’, led by campaign supremo Alan Milburn, has identified the issues of fighting terrorism and boosting public safety as the hard edge of a campaign originally intended to focus on reforms to public services.

Beginning with this week’s Queen’s Speech, Labour’s pitch will now be a naked appeal to the electorate’s most fundamental concerns, a strategy known in the US as appealing to the ‘security moms’.

And today, David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, will outline proposals for another tranche of anti-terror laws later in the third term of a Labour government.

Last night Labour faced warnings from within its own ranks that "doing a Bush" was insulting to the British people and that the party would be better to offer hope rather than fear.

Blair’s legislative programme, to be unveiled on Tuesday, contains 28 proposed new bills, plus eight draft bills, and has been drawn together under the theme of "safety and security".

It includes proposals to introduce long-awaited plans to create a national identity card, which will be sold as a crucial defence against international terrorists, some of whom the government believes are already at large in British cities.

Labour will also unveil plans to create a Serious Organised Crime Agency to tackle the ‘Mr Bigs’ of the crime underworld.

There will also be a clampdown on convicted drug offenders, who will be forced to undergo rehabilitation schemes. Police may also be able to enforce mandatory drugs tests on anyone they arrest.

And Labour also aims to win over Middle England with further sanctions on antisocial behaviour, giving courts the power to impose fines on the parents of children as young as 10.

The developing strategy, thrashed out with Blair and the Leader of the House of Commons, Peter Hain, is designed to capitalise on widespread public concerns about safety.

Senior Downing Street sources confirmed to Scotland on Sunday that the focus from now on would be on international and domestic security in an attempt to "drive home the fact that we have looked after things very responsibly".

The insider said: "You can expect to see something that is very heavy on security, from national security, around our borders, right down to the security of people in their own homes and communities."

The source added: "The first years of the Labour government were concentrated on extending opportunity. But you can't have opportunity if people don't have that security in the first place."

Labour’s own private polling has found that crime, defence and international terrorism are consistently among the top five issues given by voters when asked what major challenges face the country.

Blunkett will tell today’s Jonathan Dimbleby programme that a third-term Labour government will introduce a series of anti-terror laws.

In the interview, he confirms that officials are looking at a range of measures - from jury-less anti-terror courts to allowing wiretap evidence in trials - which could be implemented if Labour was re-elected at the general election.

Blunkett says civil orders - similar to anti-social behaviour orders - could be imposed against individuals who had not committed an offence but were suspected of "acts preparatory to terrorism". Breach of such orders would be a criminal offence which could result in imprisonment.

Blunkett says the introduction of special terrorism trials with judges sitting alone without a jury was also being considered.

But the plan of attack has already triggered condemnation from Labour's opponents, and some of Blair's own MPs, who claimed the move was an "insult" to the public.

"We should be proud to fight the election on our domestic record, because we have a lot to be proud of," Labour MP Alice Mahon said. "The idea that we can do a Bush is really quite insulting to the British people. We aren't locked into this John Wayne mentality."

She added: "I prefer to take the advice of Bill Clinton, and campaign on the politics of hope, not of fear."

A Conservative spokesman added: "The crime figures show Labour has been all talk about law and order, but no worthwhile action, while we would put an extra 40,000 police on the streets. This is the only way in which crime can be taken seriously.

"The only real lesson we can learn from the Americans in this regard is to appoint a full-time minister of homeland security, but the government refuses to do that," he added.

The move to emphasise security in the election run-in comes just two months after Milburn was handed control over the strategy.

Blair last week gave a signal of the new strategy when he used his Mansion House speech to paint a portrait of a country still at war with terrorism, and in need of a leader to steer a firm course. That followed comments by Blunkett, who warned that Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda were "on our doorstep and threatening our lives".

The race for the White House showed that voters concerned about terrorism were far more likely to vote for the incumbent leader.

The Queen’s Speech on Tuesday will continue the over-arching theme of security, but will also trigger a renewed row with union leaders over the government’s lukewarm commitment to a new ‘corporate manslaughter’ bill.

The legislation is intended to make rail chiefs, construction giants and all companies responsible for the deaths of employees and customers, but because the government is only to introduce it in draft form, they may now escape prosecution for several more years.

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