A PARLIAMENTARY candidate today said foot and mouth disease should not affect the General Election, saying: "I have never canvassed a farm in my life."

Labour's Ribble Valley candidate Marcus Johnstone said opposition calls to postpone plans for a poll on May were a "total red herring" and would send out the wrong message.

He said farmers would not miss out on being able to speak directly to candidates because farms were rarely called on.

But his remarks have been attacked by Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, who said he had visited many farms in his constituency over the years and regularly met with farmers them during his surgeries.

Mr Johnstone, a lecturer in journalism at Southport College, said: "I am not dampening the seriousness of foot and mouth in the country but let's be realistic. I have never canvassed a farm in my life and I doubt if the Tories have. Besides, I doubt the farmers around the Ribble Valley would want people knocking on their doors at the moment anyway."

He added that the new postal voting system made voting much easier.

He said he was very much in favour of a May 3 date being called by Tony Blair.

"Delaying an election would say to the rest of the world that Britain is closed and would be devastating to the tourism industry. "Foot and mouth is bad enough but the Tories are determined to make it worse. I find it the height of irresponsibility that William Hague and Nigel Evans should be playing politics with the local economy in this way."

He said that having a national crisis had not deterred governments from holding elections in the past, and referred to the coalition government which held an election during World War Two and the Conservatives who called an election in 1974 during the miners' strike and in the midst of a three-day working week.

"Using the foot and mouth crisis is just an excuse for the Tory party to delay the election because they are 27 points behind in the poll and are hoping there is going to be a recession or a fall in the stock market," said Mr Johnstone.

Mr Evans said: "It is Mr Johnstone who is playing politics. His insensitivity about the crisis shows just how out of touch he really is with the rural community."

His views were echoed by Liberal Democrat candidate Michael Carr.