Romney is urged to get muckraking after shock Gingrich win

Mitt Romney, former Republican front-runner in the race to take on Barack Obama, today prepared to get tough to save his bid to be US president.

It followed rival Newt Gingrich's shock 12-point victory in the South Carolina primary, after two weeks of sustained attack on Mr Romney's business past and his moderate views on abortion, gay rights and healthcare reform.

Campaign insiders urged Mr Romney to fight fire with fire by focusing on Mr Gingrich's three marriages, admitted infidelities and an ethics reprimand when he was the speaker of the House of Representatives in the mid-Nineties.

However, experts claim even the deeply conservative public that holds such sway in Republican primaries might be willing to turn a blind eye to Mr Gingrich's past.

Mr Romney could face further damaging revelations this week after agreeing to reveal his tax records. For weeks, the multimillionaire appeared reluctant to unveil them, with their details of both how much he earns, and the amount he pays at a lower tax bracket because the income is from capital gains on investments. The Florida primary takes place on January 31.