Howard blasts Tories who broke ranks

A furious Michael Howard today humiliated two Tory MPs for attacking their party.

The Conservative leader rebuked John Bercow and Ian Taylor in front of colleagues at a meeting of MPs and peers.

Mr Bercow earned the wrath of the leadership for criticising the election campaign as "nasty and visionless". Mr Taylor was singled out for an attack on Liam Fox in the Financial Times.

Mr Howard demanded an end to the public bloodletting. The party had shown great discipline-during the election and it was important "to keep it that way", he reportedly told the packed meeting. "I feel so strongly about this I'm going to name names. Specifically Ian Taylor's criticisms of a shadow Cabinet colleague and John Bercow's description of our immigration policy as 'repellent'."

The outburst came as the party's chief election strategist admitted that the Conservatives had failed to win the election because the " Conservative brand" was damaged. Lynton Crosby, the controversial Australian who masterminded the Tory campaign, said it had been impossible to change the voters' perception of the party in a short campaign.

There are fears of widening divisions between traditionalists and modernisers.

Mr Howard is facing a backlash from the Right over the post-election promotion of the ambitious "Notting Hill Set".

The appointment of George Osborne, 33, as shadow chancellor and David Cameron as shadow education secretary has outraged the Thatcherites. They claim Mr Osborne has been promoted at the expense of experienced Right-wingers.

A casualty of the reshuffle is Lord Saatchi, who has stepped down as co-chairman. Lord Saatchi has described Mr Crosby's strategy as lacking a "clear sense of purpose".