In a heated debate Mr Blair strongly defended his economic policy and was adamant that he would not change course. He insisted that the Government "had to see it through" in order to avoid "a return to the days of boom and bust". Calls for intervention from the constituencies will be reinforced on the eve of conference by the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union and the Manufacturing, Science, Finance Union which will reaffirm their belief that the economy needs a boost.While at the TUC last week the Prime Minister indicated privately his view that interest rates should come down. Labour Party delegates will be looking for a strong hint in public.Ken Jackson, leader of the engineering union, said the message from the TUC was loud and clear that interest rates should be cut to avert a "manufacturing slump". TONY BLAIR came under strong pressure to make a U-turn on economic policy at a meeting of Labour's National Executive Committee, yesterday. The Prime Minister will also be urged to throw his weight behind calls for a cut in interest rates at next week's party conference. As job losses mount, emergency motions have flooded in from Labour's industrial heartlands urging action to lower the value of sterling. At yesterday's national executive left-wingers Dennis Skinner, Ken Livingstone and Diane Abbott, demanded that strict monetary policies be eased and warned the Prime Minister that Labour would pay a high price for handing control of interest rates to the Bank of England They predicted big job losses in the party's strongholds.

"It is based on getting the best candidates, not their political views," said a party spokesman.Tom Sawyer, Labour's general secretary, said the candidates would reflect "real Britain" and was pleased that 34 women and six black people would be among the party's 84 candidates.Mr Blair showed his determination to act against allegations of sleaze when the NEC yesterday suspended five members of the Slough constituency party from holding party office.. The Prime Minister was furious when left-wing MEPs publicly attacked his plan to ditch Clause 4 in 1985 and heckled him when he addressed their group.Labour officials said the selection process took account of what candidates could bring to the European Parliament and their knowledge of Europe. So the parties' rankings in each region will play a critical role in deciding who wins.Labour officials expect the 62 seats they won in the last Euro elections to be reduced to about 40 because of the introduction of PR, with the Tories and Liberal Democrats making gains.But what outraged left-wingers was the order of candidates approved by Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) yesterday after would-be MEPs were interviewed by regional panels at the weekend.Loyalists have been parachuted in over the heads of 11 sitting MEPs, who find themselves dropped so far down the "batting order" that they face an almost impossible struggle to hold their seats.The new faces who stand a strong chance of winning include Michael Cashman, the actor and gay rights campaigner, who also hopes to be elected to the NEC next week, and Claude Moraes, director of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.In contrast, Michael Elliott, MEP for London West, was placed last on the party's slate in the capital, below four new candidates.The other sitting Labour MEPs who were demoted were: Hugh McMahon (Strathclyde West); Alex Smith (South of Scotland); Gordon Adam (Northumbria); Christine Oddy (Coventry and North Warwickshire); David Hallam (Herefordshire and Shropshire); Mike Tappin (Staffordshire West and Congleton); Shaun Spiers (London South East); Carol Tongue (London East); Richard Balfe (London South Inner) and Robert Evans (London North West).Diane Abbott, a member of the NEC, said: "There will be a suspicion that people have been pushed to the bottom of the list for political reasons rather than for their contribution in the past."Ken Coates, a left-wing MEP expelled by Labour in January, said: "This is political assassination by Millbank [Labour's headquarters] which was planned on Peter Mandelson's kitchen table."Mr Blair's critics saw the list as a move to crack down on one of the last remaining bastions of "old Labour". I will have no such Imputation, I fear not death!'"Perhaps significantly, the shirt is not being included in an exhibition in the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace next January to mark the 350th anniversary of the execution. The 11 MEPs were given places so low in Labour's "pecking order" that they stand little chance of retaining their seats in next June's elections to the Strasbourg parliament. Under the system of proportional representation to be used in Britain for the first time, people will be able to vote only for a party rather than for individual candidates.

The exhibition will include paintings, prints and drawings of Charles as well as coins and medals.One of the curators said that officially the shirt was not included because the exhibition was about portraits, but agreed that doubts about its provenance were also a problem.. TONY BLAIR was accused of "purging" another group of his internal party critics last night after 11 members of the European Parliament were effectively deselected by the Labour leadership. I still tell people this is the shirt that Charles I wore to his execution."Another said: "Frankly, I suspect that it wasn't King Charles's shirt and the stains that look like blood are probably due to excessive ironing. But I don't believe in dismantling legends."The shirt, acquired by Windsor Castle in 1911, is in a display case on which are written the words: "Shirt Worn by King Charles I at His Execution Linen Shirt with Drawn Threadwork Borders.