FORMER Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday backed his successor Gordon Brown ahead of tomorrow’s General Election.

On a visit to a Sure Start Centre in Bury, Mr Blair urged people to vote Labour if they were serious about securing the economic future of Britain.

He said: “The most important thing about Gordon is that he made the right decision when it came to the economy.

“If he hadn’t we wouldn’t have been able to have this debate right now.

“It would have been an economic catastrophe and there would not be the level of investment in things such as this Sure Start centre which is great facility.

My message would be that if you want to see economic recovery then vote Labour.

“It is the policies that matter and people should vote on the them.

“It was inevitable that it would turn into a personality contest as soon as they agreed to take part in the debates but when you are sat in Westminster, its not about personality, it is about policy.”

He was accompanied by Maryam Khan, the Labour candidate for Bury North, where she is hoping to overturn any ill feeling against retiring MP David Chaytor.

He is one of four politicians due in court on theft charges with regard to their parliamentary expenses claims. But Mr Blair said: “We have some fantastic candidates, such as Maryam here in Bury. It is great to see more female candidates because Parliament should be representative of the population and 50 per cent of the population is women.

“I am delighted to be back out on the road, even if I am a little rusty, because it gives me a chance to come round and see these kind of facilities and speak to people about what is going on.”

After meeting centre staff, Mr Blair had tea with parents who use the Sure Start facility.

As Mr Blair was leaving the centre, in Brandlesholme Road, supporters of Bury North Conservative candidate David Nuttall waved Tory placards. The former Prime Minister, no stranger to being heckled, breezily waved to centre staff before climbing into his waiting car and being whisked off to the next stop of his campaign tour.