Tories will peak in time for election, says leader

Iain Duncan Smith shrugged off speculation about his own future yesterday to predict the Tories would "peak at just the right moment" at the next general election.

He said "the tide has now turned" at Westminster and the Scottish Parliament, which holds elections this May.

His message came as the Liberal Democrats agreed to target the Commons seats of five members of the Shadow Cabinet, including Theresa May, Michael Howard and David Davis. The strategy will also concentrate on the West Dorset constituency of Oliver Letwin, the Shadow Home Secretary, and Westmorland and Lonsdale, held by Tim Collins, the Shadow Transport Secretary.

The Lib-Dems highlighted a YouGov poll that showed 53 per cent of respondents expected support for Charles Kennedy's party to increase in 2003, and 51 per cent think it "quite" or "very" likely they will overtake the Tories as the main opposition party in the next five years.