THE Prime Minister last night appealed to voters to trust Labour in this week's council elections - as he faced up to the party's worst showing in decades.

Days of damaging revelations have left Labour councillors facing wipe-out in the poll tomorrow.

Experts are saying Labour could be looking at its worst showing since 1968, which came shortly after sterling was devalued under the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

In an effort to avoid humiliation, the Government sent ministers across the country to convince its core supporters to turn out to vote.

Mr Blair said last night: "Nine days' headlines should not obscure nine years of achievement."

Tomorrow, 23 million people in England will go to the polls and their verdict could decide how long Mr Blair can stay in Downing Street.

With less than 48 hours to polling day, he urged voters: "Step back and look at the big picture."

But his appeal looked optimistic as Home Secretary Charles Clarke faced up to the embarrassment of making a Commons statement on the foreign prisoners fiasco later today, after what could be a torrid Prime Minister's Questions.

Yesterday, Downing Street went through its now daily ritual of expressing full confidence in Mr Clarke and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who last week admitted that he had an affair with a secretary.

Mr Blair then launched a carefully prepared counter-attack ahead of the elections in 176 local authorities in England.

He later had a "routine" conversation over the phone with Mr Prescott, which Downing Street said was their usual start of the week talk, Monday having been a bank holiday.

Mr Blair's fightback speech to the shopworkers' union Usdaw, in Blackpool, came after some of the most torrid days of his premiership.

He told delegates: "It has been difficult. The whole point about Government is that there are challenges. No Government ever fails to make mistakes. No Government ever fails to encounter difficulties.

"But the question is, when you step back and you look at the big picture, not each and every detail of it, is there improvement happening?"

The Prime Minister added: "Yes, it's difficult in Government, especially as you go on, and when you are into the third term of a Government it is especially difficult. The third term of Government is better than the fourth term of Opposition."

He conceded: "Sometimes you make mistakes and get things wrong."

But he added that "if you stood firm and saw through the decisions, you reaped the benefit".

He also urged Labour supporters to stick with the party.

Mr Blair said that when times had been tough, unions had stood by Labour, which was the right way for "colleagues and partners" to behave.

Unlike Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt, who added to the Government's woes when she was booed by nurses and health workers last week, Mr Blair was given a standing ovation by delegates after his 30-minute speech.

Meanwhile, the Tories yesterday repeated their call for Mr Clarke to quit.

Leader David Cameron said: "I think with Charles Clarke, it's very straightforward. He has presided over a system that was clearly in chaos.

"He has clearly failed and what we have found over the last few days is that he's not being straight with people.

"I don't think there's really any way he can remain as Home Secretary. That department needs new leadership."

Of Mr Prescott, Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think his private affair is a private matter.

"Clearly, he looks a fool, but our job as an Opposition is to call him to account over his ministerial record."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said: "This is about a lot more than nine days of bad headlines. The Government has reached this position through bad policy, bad management, and bad judgement."

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