The Tories are trying to underline a positive message

Rallying supporters in Kent, Mr Howard promised his party would deliver real action on the people's priorities.

Earlier he continued touring marginal constituencies, saying the Tories offered a "better, brighter Britain".

Labour says Tories would put jobs at risk while Charles Kennedy has branded them "the party of the past".

'Positive change'

As he campaigned in Tamworth, Staffordshire, Mr Howard argued voters could choose for things to stay as they were or vote for "positive change".

He then headed to Loughborough in Leicestershire and Rushden in the Wellingborough constituency - number 29 on the Conservative target seat list.

They were all seats the Tories have to win if they are to make a comeback.

He concluded his tour with a rally in his constituency of Folkestone and Hythe, where he was told his football club, Liverpool, had reached the Champions League final.

Deadlines for Tory priorities 9 May: End requirement for police to fill out a form when they stop someone 6 June: Matrons to be responsible for cleaner hospitals 1 Dec: Heads to get final say on expulsions 1 April 2006: Discount of �500 for pensioners' new council tax bills 6 April 2006: 24-hour border surveillance covering 35 ports of entry 6 April 2006: Stamp duty abolished on houses up to �250,000 1 Sep 2006: Scrapping university tuition fees 31 Dec 2006: UK border control police to tackle illegal immigration

"This is obviously going to be a great night and a great week," he said.

Mr Howard explained how he had rejoined frontline politics because of his anger about the state of public services, especially the NHS.

Urging people to vote Conservative, he said: "You can take a stand in two days time, you can put an end to a failing, discredited government, you can give our country hope again."

In an interview with GMTV earlier, Mr Howard defended his party's campaign tactics - particularly the decision to brand Tony Blair a liar.

Labour and the Lib Dems have both attacked the Tories' campaigning as negative.

Mr Howard insisted that he would not have run his campaign any differently and rejected suggestions he now regretted denigrating the prime minister personally.

"What do you think is worse - calling someone a liar or taking us to a war on a lie?" he said.

He continued to shrug off Labour's consistent poll lead, insisting he had not thought about the future if he failed to win.

"It is not the polls or the pollsters who are going to decide this election, it is real people out there," he said.

Mr Howard also defended his party's plans to process asylum claims in a third country, in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Priority tasks

He said he had a list of possible countries in mind but would said it would not be "reasonable" to name them until he was in government and had started negotiation.

In a Labour rally in Huddersfield, Mr Blair claimed the Tories had not proposed a serious programme for the government.

Borrowing a Conservative campaign slogan, he urged voters to "send a message" that they did not want the Tories back in power.