Family And Crime Are Election Highlights

The UK's political parties continue to argue as polls suggest that no single party will win a majority on May 6.

Labour has attacked Lib Dem plans to axe child trust funds and Tory proposals to scale back child tax credits.

At a Labour press conference ministers Lord Mandelson, Yvette Cooper and Ed Balls outlined their family-friendly policies, including a promise of four weeks' paid paternity leave and a "toddler tax credit" of £200 a year to help family budgets.

They warned of the prospect of a "toddler tax" should the Conservatives win the election, with nurseries being allowed to charge "top-up fees", and said they aimed to cut support for children while increasing support for marriage.

Ms Cooper said Labour wanted to help all children, not just some, and warned Tory and Lib Dem plans would mean "millions of children losing hundreds of pounds" in support each year.

Labour's policies were not left unchallenged with questions being asked about the extent of cuts required to meet the government's commitment to halve the deficit in four years.

They were also asked why they were raising National Insurance and cutting university budgets, but keeping the £250 child trust fund voucher, which also benefits wealthy families.

A poll carried out by the Daily Mail has also revealed that voters no longer feel safe in Labour's hands because they have wasted so much money on the NHS.

The study found that fewer than one in five voters see significant improvements in the service, despite a doubling of budgets.

According to the Daily Mail poll voters believe Labour has squandered billions on bureaucracy and that the Tories are now the party best placed to look after them.

The Tories are focusing on the "broken society". David Cameron told the BBC it is a "tight contest" and said he will need "a great last 10 days" to win.

Despite criticism the Conservatives say their manifesto is the most family-friendly ever produced by a British party.

Emphasising his party's "big society" theme he said there had been a "moral failure of the big government approach" to deal with society's problems.

He said a "whole stew of violence, anti-social behaviour, debt, addiction, family breakdown, educational failure, poverty and despair" affected millions in Britain.

He pledged to bring "common sense and rigour" to government - "with a government focused on making life difficult for wrong-doers, and easy for those that want to do right by themselves, their family and their neighbourhood".

Meanwhile Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg has called for the NHS to be "broken up" and said the Lib Dems should consider replacing it with a European-style insurance system.

In a little-noticed interview before he took over as leader, he said the party should consider a social insurance system to replace the present tax-funded Health Service.

It would mean healthcare would no longer be free at the point of use - with patients who can afford to pay more getting better care.

The comments raise huge question-marks over the Lib Dems' commitment to such a cherished institution as the NHS.

There are ten days left before the final outcome of the May 6 UK General Election.

(LB/BMcC)