Britain's Opposition leader, Mr William Hague, yesterday rebuffed suggestions that the row over the Conservative leadership's apparent policy switch from Thatcherism had damaged the party's local election campaign.
"Our canvassers and candidates on the doorstep have had a far better reaction than people in any Westminster hothouse or even in any radio studio would imagine," the Opposition leader told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The Tories will enter tomorrow's crucial English local council elections with the party still in turmoil over Mr Hague's attempt, with the deputy leader, Mr Peter Lilley, to refocus Conservative policy on health and education spending.
Mr Hague insisted: "The speech that I gave last Wednesday enjoyed the unanimous support of the Shadow Cabinet, the massive backing of the parliamentary party and the universal approval - as far as I can see - of council candidates around the country, so people should judge us by results.
"I think the row has been far more in the comment pages of newspapers than it has been in the party."
Mr Hague was also upbeat about his party's chances in the local elections, despite the Tories fielding fewer candidates in some former heart-lands such as Rutland than in 1994.
The Prime Minister, Mr Blair last night urged Labour voters to turn out tomorrow amid party warnings that it could be a victim of its own success.
He told voters: "We've been a government for two years now; your mortgages are at the lowest level for over 30 years; we've got huge new investment coming into our schools and hospitals; a statutory national minimum wage for the first time in Britain and the biggest-ever increase in child benefit.
"The Conservatives are a mess. We can offer the leadership this country needs but we need you to come out and support us in the local elections this Thursday."