THE BRITISH Prime Minister, Mr John Major, will this morning open the critical, "near term phase in what many fear will prove Britain's longest, and dirtiest, general election campaign.
But the Conservative Party's latest fightback is already overshadowed by allegations, vehemently denied, about the private life of the backbench MP, Mr terry Hayes; the threat of more "damnations" to come; and the agreement of a left of centre MP, Mr Hugh Dykes, to join the Labour Liberal Democrat discussions about future constitutional and electoral reform.
The Prime Minister will fire a fresh broadside against Labour proposals on the economy and the constitution at the first in a series of presidential style press conferences at the opening of the new media centre at Conservative Central Office.
His latest innovation, designed to get his message across directly to the people, follows yesterday's start of what is reported to be the most expensive advertising campaign in the Tory Party's history. The party is expected to spend between £5 million and £7 million before the election campaign proper gets under way.
After the controversial demon eyes campaign against Mr Tony Blair, the Conservatives have opted for a blood red tear drop, depicting a fearful family to illustrate "It Would All End in Tears" if Labour won the election.
Labour's deputy leader, Mr John Prescott, last night shrugged off the latest Tory offensive, insisting the family in fear would be seen as one fearing another five years of Tory government.
"We have now had 22 Tory relaunches, as many re launches as the Tories have had tax rises. It is a seven million flop," he declared.
If there were not exactly tears before bedtime, an exasperated Tory high command was left clamouring to make itself heard above media interest in the allegations against Mr Hayes, and their impact on Mr Major's resolve to put "the family" at the heart of the political agenda; and the implications of Mr Dykes's decision to join the opposition parties in discussing plans already branded "profoundly dangerous" by the Prime Minister.
Mr Dykes insisted: "I am a keen supporter of the Prime Minister and I would not wish to embarrass him." But the embarrassment was plain as Dr Brian Mawhinney, at his poster campaign launch, refused to comment directly on Mr Dykes's decision.
"I don't know what Mr Dykes thinks. I have not had an opportunity to talk to him yet," Dr Mawhinney said. But he asserted: "The issue here is the UK. As the Prime Minister has made clear, we have a commitment to the UK. We are very sceptical of people who for their own political ends want to light a fuse which would blow the UK asunder."
Mr Dykes said he understood Mr Major's reservations about constitutional reform to refer specifically to Scottish devolution and related matters, issues in which he did not wish to become involved.
But he said he was "flattered" to have been invited to give his views, and said he wished to discuss voting systems for the European Parliament, the relevance of the European Convention on Human Rights to British law, and future reform of the House of Lords.
However, Mr Dykes's disclaimers did nothing to stop the opposition parties expressing delight. The Liberal Democrats leader, Mr Paddy Ashdown, said Mr Dykes's decision showed Mr Major out of touch not just with the nation but with his own MPs.