The Blair pitch project

They made their surprise visit by helicopter complete with an entourage of reporters, Labour party workers and Special Branch security guards.

They visited The Heath business park and declared it an example to the rest of the country.

"It's an amazing place," Mr Blair exclusively told the World. "It's risen from the ashes and is a great generator of jobs locally."

But both men side-stepped the issue of the second Mersey crossing, saying a 'strong case had been made' but were leaving it to the Department of Transport to decide. Their visit to The Heath during their election campaign was timely, following the catastrophic collapse of Rover.

Political pundits say women voters have fallen out of love with the Prime Minister but he charmed the Heath restaurant staff, who greeted him as he emerged from his Jaguar.

"He is so good looking in real life," said Christine Peck, of The Copse.

Terri Glaves, visiting the gym, said she couldn't take his picture because her hand was shaking so much.

Blair and Brown looked confident and settled, disturbed only by the persistence of tenacious BBC Newsnight reporter Michael Crick and his blunt questions, while Halton's MP Derek Twigg couldn't have looked happier.

Mr Blair gave a brief speech to some of the 1,300 employees based at The Heath.

He said it had gone from rock bottom five years ago, when ICI closed its headquarters, to a thriving business park today.

His message was similar to the famous 'white heat of technology' call given by Harold Wilson who, according to Mr Twigg, was the last Prime Minister to visit Halton.

Mr Blair said: "We are not going to be able to compete with the emerging economies in terms of low wages. But we can better them with skills and technology."

Afterwards, he and Mr Brown worked the crowd, talking to people from Ineos, EVC and O'Connors. They left just after 3.30pm, after an hour and a half, travelling by helicopter from the nearby park to Oldham for a major rally, their third engagement of the day.