Tone it down, Tony

Tony Blair is being urged by women Labour MPs to soften his "macho" style of leadership.

The Prime Minister and other Cabinet members were criticised for sounding "aggressive" at a party summit called after concern about falling levels of support among women voters.

Mr Blair held the private meeting - to consider new policies to woo them back - with senior members of the Parliamentary Labour Party's women's committee.

Many of the lost voters are thought to have deserted the party in the wake of the war in Iraq.

Although the women MPs praised the Government's commitment to familyfriendly policies - especially its pledge of after-school care for working mothers - some claimed ministers adopted an off-putting, combative style.

Policies, they said, were often presented with macho phrases such as "crackdown", "clampdown" and "tough choices" rather than as help for ordinary people.

One MP said: "Many women are turned off when politicians talk about cracking down on problems and don't read on to see the full policy, which is really about protecting vulnerable people or enhancing our day-to-day lives.

"Sometimes politicians are so keen to turn an announcement into a headline that they enhance the negative aspects rather than the positive message to families and women."

No ministers were named at the meeting. But one target was thought to be Home Secretary David Blunkett who has unleashed a blizzard of tough laws against terrorism and anti-social behaviour.

A number of women MPs have privately criticised Labour's failure to make Westminster more womenfriendly. MPs Julia Drown and Diana Organ are said to be stepping down at the election, partly out of frustration at the way women are treated.