THE political make-up of Worcestershire County Cou-ncil will be hotly contested next month when the public chooses its regional representatives.

And on Thursday, May 5, Worcestershire will be a prime battleground between parties as they fight for overall control.

Currently the Conservatives lead the council as a minority administration.

But for majority control, the Tories need to add four seats to their 25. Labour currently holds 14 seats and the Liberal Democrats 8.

George Lord, leader of the Conservatives, believes they will wrest outright control.

"We need to gain four seats, but I'm confident of more than that," he said.

Several seats had been identified as vulnerable to a Tory swing, including two in Redditch, a new seat in Warndon and another in Wychavon, he explained.

He believes the Tories could achieve 30 or 31.

He ruled out the possibility of initiating a formal coalition if they do not reach the magic 29, but said current arrangements were working and could continue.

"We have never formed a coalition, but if anyone feels they want to back the party they are welcome," he said.

"We've got a good idea of what is going to happen from private polls, but those details are secret," he said.

But Peter Pinfield, leader of the Labour group said his party would work hard to increase Labour's representation at county level.

"There's everything to fight for, and I'm upbeat about the upcoming election," he said.

He said turbulence caused by the Droitwich Lido and the deselection of Bromsgrove Tory candidates earlier this year opened the door for Labour advancement.

TONY Blair was today expected to fire the starting gun for a general election campaign in which all eyes will be on Worcester.

Having postponed a planned visit to Buckingham Palace yesterday out of respect for the Pope, the Prime Minister was due to visit the Queen this morning.

He is thought to want Parliament dissolved either late this week or early next, to pave the way for a Thursday, May 5 polling day.

With all the signs pointing to a further reduction in Labour support, the Faithful City will serve as a barometer seat for the extent of the backlash.

Labour MP Michael Foster will be battling to protect his fragile majority of 5,766 in the knowledge that his defeat could signal the end of the Blair era.

If there is a massive swing across the country, we could see the demolition of Labour's 161 majority and probably a hung Parliament.

Mr Foster was the city's first Labour MP when he was elected in the 1997 landslide, after Worcester Woman - identified as the critical swing voter - turned her back on the Tories.

Conservative success in the city council elections last June might have bolstered Tory challenger Margaret Harper's hopes - and Mr Foster's fears - that the same swing voter is ready to revert to type.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat candidate Mary Dhonau will be hoping to make inroads into the votes of both major parties to boost her own party's historically poor showing in the City.

The Lib Dems will mount a stronger challenge in West Worcestershire, where Malvern Hills District Council leader Tom Wells is snapping at the heels of Tory MP Sir Michael Spicer, whose majority is slimmer than Mr Foster's.

Peter Luff looks reasonably secure with his five-figure majority in mid-Worcestershire, where Tory defeat would mean a total meltdown.