Trains, planes and automobiles: who pays?

Election countdown

A British Midland 737 jet has been lent to the Tory party by Sir Michael Bishop, chairman of the company, to transport the Prime Minister and his campaign team with accompanying journalists to the key marginals in the West Country and the north of England.

John Major is also using a Bristow's Sikorski helicopter to hit the campaign trail for day trips to enable him to return to London at night.

However, unlike his predecessor, Mr Major will also use privatised rail transport to give his personal backing to the policy which has been heavily criticised, particularly over the cuts in services by South West Trains.

Baroness Thatcher refused to travel by trains, which the security services feared were more open to possible terrorist attack.

The Major "battle bus" will meet the Prime Minister at his campaign sites, to ferry him and his famous soapbox to public meetings in towns across the country.

The campaign is costing the Tories more than pounds 20m, including poster advertising, and much of it is being funded by personal donations from business leaders, including some from abroad.

But the personal backing of businessmen such as Sir Michael will help keep the costs down. "He is being very generous," a Conservative Party source said.

Party sources said that Mr Major would be taking his campaign to the four corners of Britain - England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The bus, which was wheeled out in 1992, and the jet will be equipped with high-tech kit to enable him to keep in touch with the business of running the government at No 10. He often also uses the equipment to keep in touch with the latest Test cricket scores.

There are on-board televisions to check on daily news coverage, and Downing Street has a sophisticated telephone system which can "patch" calls almost anywhere in the country. The advent of the mobile telephone has intensified the pace with which the Prime Minister will face questions on events.

Mr Major's personal protection officers who go with him everywhere, even on party business, are also equipped with satellite telephones, which can come in useful where there are gaps in the cellular network.

The battle bus will be followed by two Wallace Arnold coaches carrying the press. The sight of three coachloads of media people caused chaos in 1987 when they descended on Harry Ramsden's Yorkshire chip shop with Lady Thatcher. Tory organisers have learned from such experiences, but they believe that the scenes of Mr Major facing student hecklers in Luton this week will help rekindle fears of "old Labour" militancy.

The party chairman, Brian Mawhinney, got security clearance for the public walk-abouts to overcome safety fears.

The battle bus is bomb and bullet proof, and carries an array of office equipment. Secretaries are available to rewrite speeches on board, with printers and computer systems linked to the research base at Conservative Party headquarters in Smith Square.

The Prime Minister will be accompanied by Sheila Gunn, his personal press secretary, Howell James, his chief policy adviser, and speech writers. Lord Cranborne, Leader of the Lords, will co-ordinate the Government's business, while Mr Major is away, operating from Downing Street through the election business unit.