British Elections Postponed?

The British Broadcasting Corporation reported on Saturday night that Prime Minister Tony Blair had decided to postpone the crisis-hit country's general elections until June.

The BBC's political editor Andrew Marr said Blair had decided to delay the elections from the expected May 3 date until a date in June as the foot-and-mouth epidemic ravaging livestock spiraled.

But Blair's Downing Street Office denied the prime minister had set a date for the elections. Blair, meanwhile, was holed up at Chequers, his country retreat, meeting with advisers to decide whether to vaccinate some animals to stem the disease's spread.

"Obviously he has been focusing on the foot-and-mouth disease. He has been listening to people who have told him the election should be postponed," a Downing Street spokesman said.

"I am sure he will want to make a decision sooner rather than later. But I have been with him throughout the day and he has made no decision as yet," the spokesman added.

Speaking on the News At Ten, Marr said: "A June election gets the government away from a pretty bleak period — everything from the weather to this ghastly foot-and-mouth crisis, to worries about the stock markets on Wall Street.

"It certainly and crucially gives Tony Blair some breathing space to demonstrate he is getting the foot-and-mouth crisis under control."

Marr did not give a source for his report, but said an official announcement confirming the postponement would be made by Downing Street on Monday.

The news follows speculation that cabinet ministers were divided on the date for the elections.

Those Labor politicians in favor of a May 3rd election say a delay would play into the hands of the Conservative Party — currently lagging 20 points behind in the opinion polls.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Blair said Britain is beginning to win its battle against foot-and-mouth disease, but the number of cases continued to rise.

"We are beginnng to punch our weight on the ground," said the spokeswoman, who spoke on condition she wasn't named. "This is undoubtedly going to be a long haul, but we are determined to keep the pressure on through the work of the military ... to deliver real change."

The army stepped up its involvement in the fight against the disease this week, sending personnel to help in the slaughter to clear the backlog of animals earmarked for culling.

AP A Russian customs official in Moscow inspects a shipment of Dutch beef.

The Agriculture Ministry changed the way it releases information, so a direct comparison is difficult, but that appeared to be a steeper jump than in previous days, when the number of infection sites had increased by between 30 and 40.

Professor Roy Anderson of Imperial College in London told The Guardian newspaper that a daily case total close to 60 would mean efforts to stop the disease's spread were having little effect.

"There are some encouraging signs in the epidemic," he said. "This week is crucial. If the cases this weekend stay around the 30 or 40 mark, or even a little bit higher the 50s is all right that's good news. If they don't, there's a lot more effort to be made."

Disposal of culled animals could soon be quickened to help halt the epidemic. Agriculture Minister Nick Brown said Saturday that an independent medical report has cleared the way for cattle under 5 years old to buried instead of burned.

Cattle were previously burned because of fears of spreading mad cow disease a fatal brain-wasting ailment scientists fear can be transmitted to humans into the water supply. A ministry spokesman said a final decision on cattle disposal is expected within days.

Blair has promised a decision soon on whether to vaccinate 180,000 dairy cattle against foot-and-mouth, a move he is reluctant to make because it would lengthen the time Britain needs to regain its "foot-and-mouth-free" trade status after the disease is eradicated. Vaccination has become more appealing as the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of livestock has failed to stop the epidemic.