Saatchi blasts Howard over election

Former Tory party co-chairman Lord Saatchi today launched a withering attack on Michael Howard's general election campaign, claiming he tried to "ape Tony Blair" by refusing to offer serious tax cuts.

In a Centre for Policy Studies pamphlet, Margaret Thatcher's favourite advertising tycoon lambasted the party's reliance on focus groups, opinion polls and lack of idealism. Lord Saatchi said he blamed himself for failing to challenge the tactics of Australian polling guru Lynton Crosby, which focused on target seats with a small number of key messages.

In remarks that will make uncomfortable reading for all the leadership contenders, he said the Tory campaign was mistaken to call Mr Blair a liar, wrong to concentrate on immigration and wrong to offer weak tax plans.

Referring to the sacking of Howard Flight over his tax cut comments, he said: "I did not forestall the drive to ape Mr Blair's Clause Four moment as in picking fights with Right-wing tax cutters to prove Left-wing caring credentials."

The attack will unnerve leadership-hopeful David Cameron and his "Notting Hill set" ally George Osborne, both of whom backed the idea of cautious tax cutting plans.

Lord Saatchi added: "I did not succeed in overturning the fiction of the focus groups, which can tell you what people are thinking but not what you should be thinking. I did not overcome the traditional Tory desire to travel light - no baggage, no target, no hostage to fortune."

Meanwhile, Kenneth Clarke's allies today began to gauge support among fellow MPs before he decides on whether to contest the Tory leadership. They are keen to gather as many names as possible before Parliament breaks up for the summer.

Supporters of the former Chancellor want to act quickly amid fears that both David Davis and Mr Cameron could build unstoppable momentum as the two front-runners in the race.

Mr Clarke threw the contest wide open yesterday when he said his appetite for the job of Prime Minister was undiminished and he was "fit and eager" for the top post.

He stressed he would only run if he knew he had the backing of enough MPs to win and would decide "over the next month or two".