Scots reject Blair as too nice, too Tory

Tony Blair is seen as "false," "too nice" and even "a bit Toryish" by voters in Scotland, the Labour Party's own focus groups say.

The five groups of six to eight floating voters said they saw little difference between New Labour and the Tories. Mr Blair's appearance and accent were too middle class, and he had taken the party too far to the right. They seem to have rejected him as a Southerner more interested in the votes of the English than those of the Scots.

Aides of Mr Blair moved last night to dismiss the leaked report, but as he flies to Glasgow today for a fund-raising dinner with businessmen it will not be welcome. Fran Abrams