Tories reveal new weapon: the Ikea chair

THE CONSERVATIVES' days of sipping Earl Grey tea on chintz sofas are over. Lady Thatcher and fellow Tory Euro-sceptics will be forced to sit on pounds 149 chairs from Ikea - latest slogan: "stop being so English" - at their party conference this week.

The "comfortable" armchairs from the Swedish furniture store's "Tullsta" range will be the centre of the set at the Bournemouth gathering. Eight chairs - in red, green, yellow and blue - will be arranged around two coffee tables at the foot of the stage. Grandees will be asked to perch casually on the seats during debates.

Senior Tory sources said one of the blue chairs would be reserved for Lady Thatcher as they fear a red one might provoke an "incident". Last year the former prime minister amazed onlookers by covering up the redesigned tail-fin of a model British Airways plane with her handkerchief.

A brochure from Ikea - whose beech and pine furniture has become synonymous with affordable, modern living - boasts that each Tullsta chair has a "loose back lumbar cushion for extra comfort". The loan is in keeping with Ikea's commitment to "Democratic Design", set out in a mission statement at the front of its catalogue.

Mr Hague was told that the chairs could be returned after use to be sold as "shop soiled", or he could buy them himself. He has decided to auction off the chairs to raise money for the party. Officials believe Lady Thatcher's seat will fetch hundreds of pounds from a loyal member.

The armchairs are part of a "modern" stage set designed for the conference. The raised platform has been thrown out and speakers will address delegates from the same level in an attempt to emphasise the "democratic" nature of the party. VIPs will sit in a "relaxed" manner around low coffee tables, one square, the other round.

Speakers will sit behind a special desk with room for six people, before standing at a lectern to address the conference. "It's going to be much more casual," a spokesman said, "and the Ikea chairs are part of that."

"The Conservative Party is changing," declared Michael Ancram, the incoming party chairman. "The days of regrouping are over. We are back on the battlefield. From now on we are setting out to win."