Labour MP Andrew Smith is refusing to give up his Oxford East seat without a fight as rival candidates step up their pre-General Election campaigns.

On Friday night Virginia Morris, 35, met constituents with the assistance of former Oxford East MP Steve Norris, who narrowly defeated Mr Smith in 1983 to take the seat.

And Steve Goddard, prospective parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats, has entered the fray at the Lib Dem party national conference by campaigning against post office closures.

Former Cabinet minister Mr Smith hit back by claiming that voters were sick of "the froth" surrounding rival parties' claims and added: "The Tories and the Lib Dems run the county council which is responsible for huge council tax increases, coupled with spectacular blunders in financial admin- istration.

"Of course the other parties are trying to talk up their chances, but there is always a danger that this comes across as counting their chickens.

"I have done a ward-by-ward survey of the constituency and followed up the issues that constituents are raising.

"I don't think the other parties' words are matched by hard work on the ground."

Mr Goddard, a former city councillor, said he had been collecting signatures in the constituency for a petition against post office closures.

He told the Harrogate party conference: "Several post offices have closed in Oxford over the past two years. "The result has been that many people, pensioners especially, are having to travel further to use post office facilities, often going by car in a city that is trying to reduce car travel.

"In Oxford we also face difficulties surrounding unreliable delivery of mail and the closure of the Headington sorting office. We Lib Dems will be campaigning to keep the remaining services open and to create an efficient, publicly-owned public service."

Ms Morris and Mr Norris met pensioners at a dinner at Risinghurst Church Hall to discuss Tory policies and Ms Morris's chances of stealing the seat from Mr Smith, the former Work and Pensions Secretary who resigned from the Government last year to concentrate on constituency matters.

Ms Morris said: "This General Election is going to be a shock for New Labour -- not just in Oxford but across the country. This election will not be like the last -- and Oxford East is just the sort of seat that will lead the change."

Mr Norris, who lost out to Ken Livingstone in the election for London's first directly-elected mayor, said: "The Conservatives do have a real chance of winning in Oxford East."

Also lining up to challenge Mr Smith are Independent Working Class Association representative Maurice Lean and Green Party candidate Jacob Sanders, also a former city councillor.