The unveiling of the Millennium Dome's details, led by Prime Minister Tony Blair, has met with a mixed reaction from politicians, including one Labour Euro-MP who branded the project a "waste".

Conservative spokesman for culture, Francis Maude, said the project had been "bedevilled with controversy and bad publicity" since Peter Mandelson, the minister overseeing the project, had taken over last year.

He insisted that it had become a political project aimed at getting the government re-elected and challenged Mr Blair to strip the politics from it.

Peter Mandelson has been accused of being the most controversial party politician in Britain

In a statement, he asked: "Is Tony Blair big enough to declare the Millennium Dome a politician-free zone? Or is he too mesmerised by the prospect of grandstanding before the world in the year before the election?"

Mr Maude said Mr Mandelson was the most controversial party politician in the country and added: "Elections are his lifeblood.

"Today's announcement that he is barely halfway to the sponsorship target confirms, as he said last week, that the project remains on a knife-edge."

The Conservative spokesman asked why sponsors were so wary of signing up and suggested that some of those involved "have an obvious agenda with the government".

He added: "Most want to take part in a great national celebration, but they will run a mile from anything that looks like the launch of a New Labour re-election platform.

"In days gone by, at great national events such as jubilees, politicians had the grace to stand back out of the limelight."

Mr Maude called for a fresh start and for the Prime Minister to heed the advice of his "design guru" Lord Rogers to appoint a senior national figure with no possible taint of party politics to manage the project.

"Then the whole country could be confident that the Millennium Experience would be a genuine national celebration, not a New Labour launch-pad," he said.

"This is a crucial test for Mr Blair. Is he big enough for it?"

Alex Falconer, Labour Euro-MP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, became one of the first voices to break party ranks after the unveiling to openly attack the Dome.

He dubbed it an "ill-founded and elitist Tory-conceived venture" and said the government should order National Lottery organisers Camelot to ballot players to see whether its funding should go to another cause.

"My money's on the health service, with the Dome trailing many lengths behind," said Mr Falconer.

But Labour MP for Watford, Claire Ward, a member of the Commons Select Committee on the Dome and a past critic of the secrecy and organisation of the exhibition, said she had been inspired.

"If that is only half of what they can deliver, then we are in for something quite special. My only concerns now are about things like queues and the cost."

Liberal Democrat spokesman Simon Hughes said his party would back the Dome provided it became a people's celebration rather than "a politician's plaything".

However, he said that if Mr Blair wanted everyone to come on board, the project needed to be a two-way process with the best of the public's ideas developed.

Mr Hughes added: "The Dome has been dominated by party political squabbling for too long.

"The government considered pulling the project then backed it and the Tories switched position from initial support to outright opposition - all of which has done little for confidence in the project.

"The Liberal Democrats will support Millennium initiatives for the people. But, if this Dome is for the self-aggrandisement of politicians and the commercial interests of big businesses, then it will not win the people's support."

Michael Heseltine: "I will ensure this is a project for the nation"

Michael Heseltine, who as Tory deputy Prime Minister had overseen the original concept of the Millennium Dome, stressed that it was not a party political issue.

Mr Heseltine, however, refused to be drawn into discussing the apparent reticence of some members of the Conservative Party to back the Dome.

He said that he was the party's representative on the Dome project, and added: "To that extent the Conservative Party is represented at the heart of this matter and, of course, was the creator of the project.

"I will ensure that this is a project for the nation. It is not a party political activity."

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that he believed the unveiling on Tuesday of some of the contents of the Dome would represent a turning point in the project and help to dispel some of the cynicism surrounding it.

He said that the Millennium Experience was ahead of target for sponsorship.