GWENT politicians will start campaigning in earnest today, as the general election campaign jumps out of the starting blocks.

To no-one's great surprise Tony Blair announced that June 7 would indeed be election day, triggering the first wave of sound-bite heavy pronouncements from the main parties.

Torfaen MP Paul Murphy, who is leading Labour's campaign in Wales, led the way.

"We will keep emphasising our positive messages about improving schools, about getting Wales back to work and about rebuilding our health service," said Mr Murphy.

"No one in Wales should believe this election does not matter or is already decided. Devolution is about partnership. And if the Tories win they will be determined to wreck the partnership."

Nigel Evans, MP, leader of the Conservative Campaign in Wales, struck a similar if opposite note.

He said: "All over Wales the Conservative Party are already out on the streets and campaigning hard. The people of Wales and the rest of the UK know that this Labour Government have been all spin and no delivery.

"Our policies are common sense: Keep the Pound, Less Tax, More Police, Less Bureaucracy." Richard Livsey, MP, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said: "Our campaign is ready for 'lift off'. I can confidently predict we will win more seats and more votes in Wales."

He said his party's campaign would be based on Freedom, Justice and Honesty: greater powers for the Assembly, fairer funding for Wales and honesty on taxation.

Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones, the only AM to be leading a Westminster election campaign, following his decision to stand down from parliament, visited Caerphilly as the first official day of campaigning.

He said: "Plaid Cymru is fighting this election from a position of unprecedented strength and is ready as never before to take the battle to New Labour.

He dismissed the Tories as "unelectable" and said the overall result was "a foregone conclusion".

"Plaid Cymru will fight this election on two core issues: a fairer distribution of wealth, and greater powers for Wales. This election is about getting a fairer deal for Wales," he promised.