Buoyant Tories raise their election sights

Tory party strategists were today re-drawing their election plans amid a wave of optimism about their chances.

Conservative officials believe they could win dozens more constituencies than they originally hoped following a series of publicity coups.

Morale has been boosted following the row over pensioner Margaret Dixon's shoulder operation and a Mori poll suggesting Tony Blair's lead has been cut to two per cent.

Tories believe their initial election strategy to focus on 30 seats was not ambitious enough and insiders say they have now set their sights on at least 60.

The election strategy will be finalised at a three-day "away weekend" in Brighton later this month. Tory MPs are under a three-line whip to attend.

Until now, the party has focused on as few as 25 to 30 seats considered the most winnable, leading to claims that they had already conceded defeat.

But today one Conservative MP said: "We now think we have a chance in a lot more seats. Things have been going well. We are looking at revising the number we target upward, targeting perhaps 60 to 80 seats."

Tory strategists have been buoyed by the rocky start to Labour's election campaign. Labour was forced to withdraw one of its posters amid claims that depictions of Michael Howard and Oliver Letwin as flying pigs were anti-Semitic.

Conservative MPs are also crediting their Australian election guru Lynton Crosby for refusing to be intimidated by Labour's 161-seat majority.