A long-serving Labour MP has used the columns of the South Wales Argus to launch a savage pre-election attack on his party's leadership.

Llew Smith, who is retiring from one of the country's safest Labour seats, pulled no punches in his attack on Tony Blair and his Government

Writing exclusively for the Argus, he catalogued a list of what he sees as the failings of Tony Blair's leadership.

He labelled the Prime Minister a "hypocrite" for adopting Tory policies, attacked him for taking the country into the war against Iraq and was scathing in his review of policies on privatisation, fox hunting, pensions, education and ID cards.

He wrote: "Blair, coming from a Tory family and maintaining the values which often come with this upbringing, together with a lack of interest, or indeed understanding of our Labour history, sees nothing wrong in attacking the public services - which he calls modernisation."

The double-page spread claimed that Tony Blair's leadership had resulted in a dwindling Labour Party membership.

The MP, who won a majority of 19,313 at the last general election, is to stand down at the next.