The former Conservative prime minister, John Major, has called on voters to punish Labour at the general election accusing the government of the politics of "smear and sneer".

Writing in this week's Spectator, Major said that after keeping his "counsel about Labour's abuse of power" following his heavy defeat in 1997 he has decided to speak out now that he standing down as an MP.

"The concept of spin, now out of control, has led New Labour to lie as no government has lied before," he writes.