The Conservatives are trying to lull Labour voters into a false sense of security through an imported Australian technique known as the Queensland Gambit, according to Tony Blair.

The strategy refers to a 1995 election in the Australian state, where a Labour administration was unexpectedly defeated after the opposition National Party issued a statement accepting it had no chance of victory and instead urged voters to "send Labour a message".

Blair said his suspicion was aroused by Howard's admission that his party was "2-0 down at half-time" and his repeated calls for voters to "send Mr Blair a message".

Labour has also noted that Mark Textor, a business associate of Tory Australian campaign guru Lynton Crosby who has been linked to the controversial negative tactic of "push polling", has been sighted at Tory campaign HQ.