The Conservatives will today set out their plans on how to cut government waste by £35 billion.

Michael Howard will hope to garner some positive headlines following a weekend on the defensive after one of his MPs defected to Labour and an opinion poll showed the party is on course for a massive defeat in the general election.

The Tory leader went on the BBC's Breakfast with Frost with the aim of explaining how a Conservative government could protect key services and still find at least £4 billion of tax cuts in its first year.

But instead he found himself answering questions about the defection by Robert Jackson, the former higher education minister and an MP for 21 years.

Tony Blair speaks for "the national interest", whereas a Howard victory would do "certain harm", Jackson said.

Howard went on to claim that under his premiership, an extra £23 billion would be allocated to better public services.

The remaining £12 billion would go on tax cuts and cutting the national debt.

Meanwhile, a Populus poll for the News of the World suggested the Tories may lose seats to the Liberal Democrats at the coming election.

After interviewing voters in 202 marginals, Populus reported that the party could now lose three to the Lib Dems, leaving Tony Blair with a third Commons majority of 160.

Howard said: "We're fighting to win the election, let me make that clear," and added that he still hoped to "turn the direction of peoples' thinking".

However, a former minister has told today's Independent: "Robert Jackson is right. We don't stand for anything. We are facing a seismic shift in politics. We could be heading for a meltdown."