THE resignation from the Labour Party of Derek Cattell has caused a stir in the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constituency.

Although never a New Labour enthusiast, Mr Cattell - former regional officer for the GMB union - has been a party man through and through.

He has resigned in protest over the Iraq war and pledged his support for independent candidate Reg Keys, whose son was killed in the conflict.

Mr Cattell, of course, is far from being alone as a traditional Labour Party supporter left with misgivings about Iraq, and asking whether he can trust a government which took the country to war on a premise which turned out to be fundamentally flawed.

The reasons for his defection will strike a chord with many. But doubts about Iraq - serious as they are - will not win or lose this election.

So far, the run-up to the election has been dogged by negativity but yesterday was, hopefully, a turning point, with positive campaigning on the main issues coming to the fore.

Health moved to the top of the agenda, with Labour unveiling new targets to tackle cancer and the Tories promising new children's hospitals. The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, chose to major on crime, pledging 10,000 extra police officers.

For all the doubts shared by people like Derek Cattell over whether Tony Blair was right to fight a war in Iraq, the issues upon which the country will make its choice will be health, education, the economy, and law and order.